Tales of the Blades
by Lixie Lorn
Summary: Stories about the Blademaster families, belonging to me and Guard of the Twilight. Many stories, told chapter by chapter. Description of how that works inside. Rated for some gore and language.
1. Tales 1: Beginnings 1: The Meeting

Hiya people

_Hiya people. Felix here. And Ebony. This is going to be a strange story. Each chapter might be from a different story. Chapter 1 might be from one story, 2 from another, and 3 from the first again. But I'll keep that clearly marked. This first chapter begins the arc known only as 'beginnings'. Enjoy._

(I hate the) disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. I own the characters and their names, except for Jaster, which belongs to guard of the twilight. The Blademaster families are an idea which we should probably share credit for.

Tales of the Blade Chapter 1-Beginnings: The Meeting

"Well, I expect you're wondering why we're here." said a man, standing on a small platform. They were in an impressive garden, trees, lakes and plants. Wild pokemon were everywhere. But the centre of attention was focussed on the man. His name was Alan Jaster, and he had black hair, blue eyes, and a large sword on his back, as well as a smaller one in his belt. He was the founder of the sword fighting Discipline of Inner Strength, though most referred to it as the discipline style.

"Yes, we are." yelled out a woman. She looked about the same age. She had two swords in her belt, long brown hair and brown eyes. Her name was Lauren Lorn, creator of the Speed Discipline.

"I wouldn't have come if I knew HE was going to be here…" muttered another man, with blonde hair and green eyes and a strong build and a wicked looking sword, throwing a dirty look at another man who looked completely different, black haired, almost black eyed and very slim, wearing a single very long sword on his back, and a long dagger on his belt. They were Sam Rofani, founder of the Power Discipline, and Alex Sonai, the creator of the Intimidation Discipline.

The fifth person remained silent. He was James Verin, a brown haired, green eyed Swordsmaster who had always been the quietest and most sensible. He was the creator of the Defence Discipline, and wore two swords on his back so perfectly alike they were like mirrors.

When the talking died down, Alan continued.

"So do I." he continued. There was almost an uproar, impressive as that is from four people, but he continued. "As the only one of us on speaking terms with the rest, I was asked to bring you all here."  
"Who BY?" shouted out Sam.  
"Mew." There was silence.  
"You're joking." said Sam.  
"I'm not. She- or he- should be here any minute now" he said, getting down from the stage and sitting on the fifth chair.

"And that's my cue!" came a loud voice from nowhere. There was a loud pop, and a flash of bright pink light, and Mew appeared on the stage. She giggled, summoning a chair from nowhere and sat down.  
"No, wait, that hurts my tail. And this is awkward anyway… Got it!" she murmured. There was another pink flash, and Mew was a young woman, with bright pink hair and bright blue eyes. She giggled again and sat down.

"Well, you all know why you're here."

"No we don't." said Lauren.  
"Didn't I tell you?" said mew, surprised.  
"No." she said.  
"Oh." Mew giggles. "Must have slipped my mind. Anyways, I asked you here because you are the five greatest Swordsmasters, and each of you comes from a different region. Now, we legendaries have a problem."  
"Get on with it, Mew." came another voice. With a flash of green light another figure appeared. It looked like a human boy, with light green hair and darker eyes.  
"I'm Celebi." he said.  
"Is that ALL of you, or are their more pixies to come?" said Lauren.  
"There are more, but not here. I'm sorry; Mew has a tendency to go on a bit. Some… thing has got into our world. We don't know quite what it is, but it shouldn't be here.  
We've both tried to find out, but it's blocking our more special abilities. We need you five, if you will, to do this for us."

They looked around at each other. There were a few moans of "Does it have to be HIM?", but they eventually died down.

"We'll do it." said Alan Jaster of Sinnoh.

There was silence.

"What exactly are we doing?" he asked.  
"There are some… things in Altomare. I presume you all know of Altomare?"  
They nodded.  
"Good. We can't get a look at them psychically, and what we like to call 'god powers' don't work near them, so no time travel checks. We daren't go alone, and the other legends can't help. We can teleport there." The group nodded. It made sense. It hadn't quite clicked that two gods were asking for help.

"Ok then!" said Mew, brightly smiling. "Hold my hand. Or Celebi's." Grudgingly, slightly annoyed with Mew's honeyed attitude, they did, and when the five warriors were touching the legends, there was a twin flash of pink and green, and the garden vanished, to be replaced by a sight if possible, more beautiful. A rolling city of canals and ancient buildings. Celebi closed his eyes as they started to glow.

"That way." He said, opening them and pointing. Mew had stopped smiling now. Seriousness didn't fit her face at all. They started to run, unsheathing their weapons. It wasn't long before they saw what was going on. A group of pokemon were attacking people and buildings, defeating attacking pokemon almost as if they were nothing. There was a Kabutops, an Arcanine, a Sneasel, a Girafarig and an Aerodactyl. But each one was strange-it was entirely black, with spikes all over it. The Arcanine had a pair of horns, the Kabutops' shell was covered in spikes all over, the Sneasel had claws as long as it was tall, the Girafarig had five tails, each tipped with a horned demonic head, and the Aerodactyl had a tail tipped with a mace so large and powerful it was demolishing walls. They charged in without a second thought, weapons glinting.

Alan got there first, swinging his swords at the Kabutops. Somehow, it turned and blocked them, even though it was looking the other way. It swung one blade, hard, knocking Alan off balance when he blocked, and threw a second attack at him. He barely dodged it, diving onto the floor. He grabbed a pokeball from his belt.  
"Jolteon!" the electric dog pokemon materialised.  
"Thunder!" The Jolteon grinned, and a huge blast of lightning shot towards the Kabutops. It struck, and the creature started to smoke. But it still stood. With a contemptuous strike, Jolteon was on the floor, unconscious. Quickly, Alan threw his pokeball, recovering Jolteon. He just finished as Kabutops swung a blade again, and he ducked quickly, rolling out of the way. He grabbed a spare pokeball from his bag, throwing it at the Kabutops. It struck the pokemon, and glowed red, than black, then shattered. He stood still for a second, shocked, until another blade swung and he remembered to dodge. Two loud voices echoed through the street.  
"Purity Wave!"

Lauren was having similar problems. Roll under when triple claw, dodge the next. She barely had time to attack. Didn't stop her. Dodge, attack, duck, lunge, spin out of the way, slash. She was desperately trying to think of some way to defeat it. She jumped forwards over both attacks, slashing with both swords in a move that should have cut it into three. It blocked. Impossible. Nothing was faster than her. She had defeated Sneasels, Weaviles, Scythers, even a Ninjask. It pushed against her, throwing her backwards. She grabbed a pokeball from her belt.

"Scyther!" she said. The Ninja pokemon appeared, and looking around, saw what to do. The Scyther charged with Lauren, each attacking at the same time, lightning fast Lauren hit first, striking out with both blades. Its arm caught them pushing them away, and throwing her to the floor. Scyther arrived, a Hellblade charged with fire ready to strike. Its other arm blocked the attack, and the backswing from its defence against Lauren crashed into Scyther's arm. He was thrown away, arm bleeding heavily. If he didn't have tough armour, he would probably have lost the arm. Lauren returned him. And just then, two loud voices echoed through the street.  
"Purity Wave!"

Sam drew his huge, huge sword, and charged at the Arcanine. It growled, like thunder, and lowered its head, charging with horns outstretched. The two met quickly, the giant sword hitting the helmet like bone on the Arcanine's head, just stopping the horns before they reached him. He pushed the strange pokemon away, swinging his sword both handed. A paw came up, grabbing the blade. Blood dripped from the pokemon's paw as it pushed the weapon away.  
This was impossible. He was the founder of the Strength Discipline. How could it be this strong? He needed a plan. He scowled. He hated it when that happened. But as he was trying to think, as the Arcanine approached, their came a loud cry.  
"Purity Wave!"

Alex had both his weapons out. A long sword, the end curving into a dagger, and a long knife. Neither were helping against the Girafarig and it's five tails. It was walking forwards, but the tails were stretching, like scorpions, and attacking. He knew that this thing could not be scared. So what the hell was he going to do? He closed his eyes, searching for his inner powers. He opened them, and he changed, growing wings, horns, a long forked tail, the whole thing. The Girafarig laughed. He flew over it, circling and then moving into a steep dive, sword outstretched. It whipped all its tails out, slashing them across him and ruining his attack. Concentration gone, his demonic form faded. He lashed out with both weapons from the floor, and the Arcanine retreated. He needed a second to think. But then a loud voice came across the street.  
"Purity Wave!"

James was having a little trouble. The Aerodactyl was huge, and it's mace was even larger. He was just managing to dodge the tail and block its claws and teeth. Normally, he fought by wearing things down, but something told him this thing wouldn't wear out. He had to attack. He didn't like doing that… He reached inside himself, trying to find his inner strength. It was cold, like reaching through the arctic, but finding it was like seeing the sun for the first time. Burning hot and wonderful. he pulled the energy out, shaping it and using it. There was a flash of light and his skin went brown, almost like rock. A claw raked across him. He felt nothing, swinging both mirrored swords out against the Aerodactyl in a fatal strike across the neck.  
His blades clashed with its armour. They lost. They shouldn't have. The mace swung round, striking him on the side. He went flying. He was lucky his rocky skin hadn't shattered. It faded away from the pain. He had a problem. The voices of the two legendaries cried out together.  
"Purity Wave!"

A wave of bright white light, a wave of gold, red, blue, violet, bright green, every colour, raced across the street. Where it touched the strange pokemon they screeched, like they were in absolute agony, and… something raised up from them, like a shadow. But they couldn't escape from the light pouring from Mew and Celebi. They slowly dissipated, into nothing. The pokemon, however, remained, still mutated, but in their normal colours. Their eyes were… dark, evil. They attacked.

Alan jumped, pushing his own inner power through his feet and leaping over the Kabutops. Sheathing the smaller sword, he concentrated, and a crackle of blue lightning played around the sword. He started to fall, putting the sword underneath him.  
The sword stabbed into the Kabutops' neck, where it wasn't armoured. The lightning crackled through it. It fell to the floor, dead.

Lauren jumped forwards, kicking the Sneasel as she flipped over it. It sprawled onto the ground. It looked injured. She picked an ultra ball from his bag, and threw it. The Sneasel vanished in a burst of red light. She smiled, picking up the strange pokemon.

Sam grabbed his sword with both hands, and swung it as hard as he could, down. It struck the Arcanine's horns, shattering them, and went through the pokemon's head. He pulled his sword out, wiping the blood on some grass.

Alex knew this was his chance. He focussed again, and changed, growing horns, a tail, wings. He stretched out, and breathed fire to the sky. Then at the Girafarig.  
When the fire died out, there was nothing left.

James saw the change in the Aerodactyl. It was struggling to carry his tail. Easy. James span, aiming both blades at the pokemon's neck in almost exactly the same move. The Aerodactyl died instantly, decapitated.

The five were victorious.

"What the hell were they?" said Celebi.  
"I was hoping you knew." muttered Alex.  
"Why don't we ask one of them?" said Lauren.

"Because they're dead, silly!" said Mew, laughing eerily.  
"I beg to differ." said Lauren, smiling, and opening the pokeball.

_What do you think? Next chapter will be a different arc. Please review, flames fed to Ebony and/or a fire type, yadda yadda. I'm trying not to favour Lauren, but Lorn is my house. REVIEW!_


	2. Tales 2: The Fallen 1: Blood

Hiya people

_This is my favourite arc. This is…Chapter 1 of __**The Fallen. **__Enjoy._

Disclaimer-I Still do not own pokemon. Shame that. I do own all the characters of this story. Original idea of the Blademaster families belongs to me and Guard of the Twilight.

Tales of the Blade Chapter 2-Chap. 1 of the Fallen

Swords clashed. Sparks flew. In the ancestral home of the Lorn family, three masters fought. Six swords whirled through the air, almost too fast to see. The skills on display were incredible. The combatants were very different. One was a girl, not quite ten yet, and the others were a woman and a man. The girl had a slight resemblance to the woman. It seemed, for some reason, the adults were working together. It seemed, somehow, they were losing. They were spinning, leaping, ducking and striking, so fast it defied belief. But that's what the Blademaster families had always done. Defy belief. Suddenly, the girl jumped, one sword lashing out and knocking the woman's swords away, the other disarming the man in the same way. She landed, catlike between them, a sword held to each of their throats. She stood up, keeping the blades in place.  
"Relent, mother? Father?" said Ellen Lorn.

"Relent." they both agreed. Ellen drew back her swords, placing them in her belt. The two adults did the same, and they bowed.

"Come, Ellen. It's breakfast time." said Bethany Lorn. She nodded, and the group walked from the practice room inside.

Both of the girls looked similar. They both have long brown hair, and brown eyes. This was common among their family. They looked similar, but not as much as would be suspected. The man, Benjamin Lorn, had brown hair and blue eyes, and had little resemblance to either of them.

They sat down. Ellen seemed to be in high spirits. It wouldn't last.  
"Ellen." began Benjamin. There was an odd note in his voice, both serious and apologetic.  
"Yes?"  
"You know why you're here, right?" he asked, slowly.  
"Yes. The Lorn family needs it's chosen heir, so when you didn't have children, you asked my parents if I could be the heir." Benjamin nodded.  
"Yes, and my twin sister said yes, reluctantly." said Bethany.  
"Obviously." said Ellen. She was getting slightly worried. Where was this going?  
"Well, we have a child now. Your… brother, Felix."  
"So?"  
"Well," said Benjamin slowly. "Family tradition says that the eldest child of the most direct route becomes the heir. That's him, not you. Do you understand now."  
"Yes." said Ellen, her face dark. "I understand." she stood up, and walked from the room.  
"Ellen! This position is one of great responsibility! Your mother was glad not to be chosen and-" Ellen whirled round, eyes blazing.  
"A great responsibility I have been _raised _for since I was _five_. You should know. You did it. and now you say it was for nothing? At least do me the honour of understanding what you have done." with that, she stormed out of the room.  
"Should we go after her?" said Bethany. Benjamin hesitated.  
"No. Not now. When she comes back in. It won't be too long." he said.

It was.

Later that day, when it was starting to get dark, Ellen was roaming the gardens. She came upon a great obelisk, made of dark black stone. She sat in front of it.

And then she felt it. A wave of hatred for her and all her kind. But then…

It stopped.

And something… something touched her mind.

"**What are you, little one, to bear so much hatred to your own family?" **a voice asked, inside Ellen's own head.  
"I am Ellen Lorn, and my family has taken from me my purpose. My life. My _reason_." she said, bitterly. "I'll kill them for it." The voice made a noise which, if it was human, would have been accompanied by a raised eyebrow.  
**"You will? Can you? Are they not older, faster, more skilled than you" **it asked. Ellen nodded. Of course, she didn't mean it. Often are the times people threaten to kill their family. But they don't mean it. Who does? She didn't. But she was young. And angry.  
"I can. I can beat them both at once. Older, yes. Faster, more skilled? Not a chance."  
**"That is quite impressive. I am Nemezure. I can grant power beyond your wildest dreams…"** it said. Ellen smiled. "Then why are you here?" She could tell it didn't like that question. There was the noise of thunder in her head.  
**"I was sealed here long ago. By your family. They feared my power." **it said.  
"I don't." said Ellen.  
**"Then I will help you achieve your goals, if you wish. But do one thing, to prove your power." **Ellen looked up.  
"What?"  
**"Prove yourself. Kill them. Tonight. Bring their blood. Then you can release me and I will help you."**

Ellen nodded.  
"I will return." she said, and stood up, walking back towards the mansion. It was dark now. They were probably wondering where she was. They'd soon find out.

* * *

"Where is she?" said Bethany, worried.  
"I told you, I don't know!" said Benjamin, for what was definitely not the first time.  
"We should have gone after her straight away! This is _your _fault!" she shouted.

"No, it's both your faults." said Ellen. They jumped, and broke into relieved smiles.

"Oh, thank Mew you're back, where were you, and what in mew's name did you think you were doi-" started Bethany.  
"Shut up." said Ellen. She did, mostly out of surprise. Then they noticed Ellen's drawn swords, and the glint in her eyes. Benjamin realised first. He saw the intent in her eyes, the darkness, the betrayal, though whose he wasn't sure. Most of all, he saw anger, and hurt. He drew his own weapons and, realising what was happening, so did Bethany.  
"Ellen, don't make us do this." pleaded Bethany. Ellen just smiled and ran at them.

Swords clashed. Sparks flew.

"We can't kill her." said Bethany, barely blocking a powerful slash that would have opened her throat.  
"You're right, we have to capture her." said Benjamin, just dodging a lunge that would have skewered his heart. "If we can." But there was that thought in the back of their minds. They lost when they practised. What could make them win now?

Ellen jumped, one sword knocking Benjamins weapons out of his grasp, the other doing the same to bethany's.

Four swords skittered across the floor as Ellen landed, a blade to each of their necks.  
"Submit?" she said, a twisted grin on her face. Then she moved the swords just a centimetre outwards. Then they lashed inwards.

Two great Swordsmasters died that night.

* * *

"It is done." said Ellen.  
**"I am impressed." **said the voice.  
"Why? You didn't think I'd do it?" she said.  
**"No. I didn't."** it replied. **"Touch one hand to the stone." **it said. **"Then wipe some blood onto your other hand and do the same." **Ellen did so, and there was a mighty crack, a rumble of thunder, and a smell of sulphur, and the feeling of ageless evil.

Ellen screamed as a shadow came out of the Obelisk, without form, and shot towards her, moving into her. A blackness engulfed her entire vision, then stopped. Her vision returned.

In the clearing, there was an obelisk, cracked in two by some unknown force, and a girl, with brown hair and red eyes the colour of blood.  
"Well, that was strange." observed Ellen.  
**"It was."** came a voice from her head. **"We should leave."  
**Slightly disconcerted, she did so. A thought cam across her mind.  
_What about my brother?  
_**"He will be fine. It was foretold."**

* * *

Far away, someone sat bolt upright.  
"One of the five is free. Two of the Blademasters are dead." came the slightly childish voice of Mew, higher even than normal from terror.  
"The prophecy has begun." said Celebi, eyes wide open in fear. "Dark times are coming.

* * *

_Phew. What do you think? Ellen is my favourite character ever. Please Review. Flames fed to Ebony or fire types, hatemail laughed at, reviews joyously recieved and replied. But don't get used to these fast updates._


	3. Tales 3: Beginnings 2: Secrets

In lieu of the next arc, which I don't know how to start, here's chapter 2 of Beginnings. Enjoy!

Disclaimer-Still don't own pokemon. Get used to it, I have. I own the characters, not the name Jaster, joint creator of the Blademasters.

Tales of the Blade Chapter 3-Beginnings 2: Secrets

"You _caught_ one?" said Alan.

"Yeah." said Lauren, smiling.  
"How? When I tried the ball exploded!"  
"Should have tried after the Purity Wave." she said. Alan was quiet as Lauren released the pokemon. They got ready their weapons, just in case. The Sneasel, complete with giant claws, materialised. It looked around, it's eyes normal.

"Snea?"

Mew sighed.  
"Let's talk the same, sweeties." She clicks her fingers, and nothing seems to change.

"Well, that was impressive." says Lauren sarcastically.  
"I'll say." says the Sneasel.

"_What_?" says Lauren, quietly, and with a lot of force.

"Or not…" mutters Alex.

"Well." says Alan, first to recover. "Why were you attacking people?" The Sneasel hesitates.  
"I don't know. It's like I saw it all through a black film, I don't know. last thing I remember, I was in the street and a black shadow comes out of the sky and hits me, and then the black film appeared and I wasn't in control. Did I… really hurt those people?" Lauren nodded. The Sneasel bowed down on one knee.  
"I am so sorry. Could I come with you? I have never been bested before, and I was stronger then…" it said. Lauren smiled.  
"Of course. Glad to have you. What's your name?" she said.  
"Tsume. In the ancient language, it means-" said the Sneasel.

"Claw." said James.

"Yep." She grinned, and, standing up, saluted with one very large claw to the entire group. Lauren smiled.

"Do you have any other information that can help us track down these… shadows?"  
"They found me outside the city, to the north." replied Tsume.

"Thank you. Do you mind pokeballs?"  
"No."  
"Then I'll return you." she did.

"Lucky bitch." muttered Sam.  
"Say that again, and I'll carve you a new mouth across your throat." said Lauren, in a pleasant voice. The two had never been close.

"Look, people, we need to work together here." said Alan.  
"Lucky you." said Lauren, turning away. "You get to live another day."  
"One day…" He muttered.  
"One day I'll kill you." said Lauren with a chilling certainty.

There was an awkward silence.

"Umm… am I interrupting?" said Mew, breaking the quiet.  
Everyone was glad that she had spoken.  
"We should go and check out the place where the demons appeared." said Celebi.  
"Demons?" said Alex.  
"I suppose. Do you have a better way of describing them?"  
No-one did.  
"We should go. Celebi is right." said Alan. They started walking.

* * *

"It was here." said Tsume.  
"Thanks." said Lauren, returning her. "So, what now, Pixies?"  
Mew giggled. Celebi growled with annoyance.  
"I wish you'd stop calling us that." he sighed. "Well, look around for anything strange." he said.

They did. Most of them just looked normally. Alan drew his sword, placing it between his hands and sitting down, blade pointed upwards, flat against his face. He reached for his inner strength, and focussed.

"There's something… over there." he said, pointing to a patch of trees.

They walk over. They can all feel it, something dark, scraping against their souls. Evil. They shudder. Then, unwillingly, they walk closer. They find a huge clearing. There are many pokemon there, each pure black, but not mutated to the same extent as the previous five. But it was the thing they were standing around that was the worst thing. A hole in the air. The other side was like space, black, covered in stars, but the feeling of evil, death, pain emanating from it had almost physical force. As they watched, a red spiralling cloud of something crossed the space on the other side. For an instant, a face appeared within it, a face with horns and huge fangs. The cloud stopped, and they heard a voice in their minds.

"**What are you lot doing? Kill them! They killed five of ours!"**

Said the voice. The corrupted pokemon turned as one, and charged at the group.

"Great." said Alex, as they unsheathed their weapons.

"There are too many of them." said Alan. "If they're as strong as the others, we can't beat them. Unless you can use that Purity Wave thing now?"

Celebi shook his head.

"It takes a while to charge." He says, turning into a human, and, from somewhere, drawing a sword. Mew does the same.

The charging pokemon hit the seven fighters. If they are as strong as they fear, the battle won't last long.

It doesn't.

Within seconds, half the pokemon lie dead, attacking with no skill and all brute force making them easy prey. Each one that dies is followed by a shadow rising from it's corpse and shrieking horribly as it dissipates.

As they fought, they were forced closer and closer to the tear.

"They're herding us." said James, with certainty.

Some of them ended up closer than the others.

It was five minutes before they were all dead. Not because they had any skill, but just because there were so many of them.

"Are you all ok?" said Alan.  
"Wonderful." said Lauren.  
"I'm fine." said James quietly.  
"Excellent." said Alex, sarcastically.  
"Great." mutters Sam.  
"Fine." says Mew, wiping blood from her skirt.  
"Same." says Celebi, looking around with distaste at the havoc.

The face in the tear was furious. It roared with anger, furious at their victory. There was a wave of fury that tore through the clearing, a feeling so strong it hurt, and then a great gust of wind, and then silence. The rift closed.

They looked around.  
"Alan?" said James.  
"What?" said Alan.  
"Where's Lauren?" said James.

She was gone.

* * *

_Yeah, I gave up on not giving her a big part. Sorry._


	4. Tales 4: The Fall 1: Love and Death

Hiya people

_Different arc! Prepare for chapter 1 of __**The Fall**__. Why are my chapters getting shorter? Sorry, good cliffhangers._

Disclaimer-Still don't own pokemon. Get used to it. I own the characters, not the name Jaster, joint creator of the Blademasters.

Tales of the Blade Chapter 4-The Fall 1: Love

"You WHAT?" shouted Ravenna Lorn at her brother. The rest of the Blademasters just stared.  
"I'm going out with Catherine Jaster." said Adam Lorn, again.

Pandemonium exploded around the table, while the leaders of the families, Alan and Lauren, looked at each other and smiled quietly.

"No way, Adam." said Ravenna. "You can't!"  
"Why not?" said Adam, at exactly the same time as Catherine.  
"Because I won't allow it!" said Lewis Jaster.  
"And why would you stop it?" Yelled Catherine at her brother.  
"I'm afraid I can't allow it either, Catherine." said Nathaniel Jaster, their father. Catherine, Adam and the rest of the table looked at him.  
"What?" said Ravenna.  
"I won't leave her." said Adam. Lewis seized the unexpected ally of his father.  
"You have to."  
"I Won't." He said. Lewis frowned, then smiled.  
"I challenge you to an honour duel. If you win, we will allow it. If I win, you will drop it." Everyone looked at Nathaniel.  
"That seems fair." he said.

Ravenna and Catherine were both pale. Ravenna and Adam's parents did not quite believe that in thirty seconds, they had gone from an announcement of love to an honour duel.

Alan and Lauren, at the same time, just slapped their faces in disappointment of their children and grandchildren.

* * *

"Alright then. A round lasts until the first fatal blow. First to three. Blunt your weapons." said Alex Sonai, who was refereeing.

The two boys concentrated, and ran a finger along the edge of their sword. The blood would seal the blade, rendering it all but harmless.

"Begin."

Lewis started to concentrate, using his inner strength, but in just over the blink of an eye, Adam had reached his side and slammed into it with one sword.

"Fatal blow." he said. Lewis' eyes flashed with anger, as he took up a fighting stance again.

Adam knew the same trick wouldn't work twice. He might actually have to fight this time.

"Begin."

Lewis once again started to concentrate, but more slowly, watching Adam. he finished, and nothing seemed to change. Without warning, Adam ran forwards again, slashing with incredible speed.

Lewis' arm came up and blocked it, once twice, then the third time he misjudged.

The sword slammed into him again.

"Fatal blow."

But Lewis had a plan.

"Begin. If Adam wins this, he wins the duel."

Adam rushed at him. He parried once, hard, knocking him away, and concentrated again.

When Adam attacked again, he blocked every strike, moving even faster than him.

Both times, he had used inner strength to speed himself up. And they had lasted between battles. He was faster than Adam. And that was saying something.

But Adam had one more trick. He ran in, looking like a simple attack. Then he concentrated, and yelled out.

"Chaos Blade!" In the audience, Lauren winced. That attack was very hard to use right, only the fastest could do it right. Adam wasn't good enough yet.

But it would probably still win him the fight.

After the first strike, he vanished in a cloud of smoke. Something told Lewis to turn around, and he did, just blocking the second. Adam vanished again, reappearing almost parallel to the floor. But his sword still smashed into Lewis' side.

It was over.

"Fatal Blow. Adam wins." said Alex, with some boredom.

Lewis scowled, running his finger along the sword to deactivate the training charm and the speed boost. Alex didn't see. Neither did any of the Jasters, except Alan. They were behind him. Adam turned away.

"Well, Adam, I suppose this means it is permitted for you and-"

Lewis charged, screaming and swinging his sword at Adam's head.

Adam, moving fast enough o blur slightly, ran his finger along his sword and cut Lewis' throat.

He fell to the floor, dead.

There was silence in the training field.

* * *

"Oh no." said someone.  
"What?" said another.  
"It has begun. The Blademasters are splitting. Young Lewis is dead." said Celebi.  
"Oh no…" said Mew.  
"The fall has begun."  
"Sometimes I think the world would be better without prophecies." said Mew quietly.

_Yep. Mew and Celebi will be in every chapter. So, how's this arc? Forbidden love, treachery, (Lewis', the black sheep of the Jasters, not that they'll ever admit it.) and someone challenging someone older and more skilled than him, and paying the price when he tries to cheat. But will they see it that way? Find out in a few chapters when we return to this arc._


	5. Tales 5: The Fallen 2: Love and Demons

Hiya people

_Yep. Back already. I really like this/these story/stories. Probably because I get to write different stuff. And we're back with my favourite character, the psycho-bitch! Phew, long again._

Disclaimer-Don't own pokemon. Own characters. Share Blademasters. Read now.

Tales of the Blade Chapter 5-The Fallen 2: Love and Demons

"Why am I here?" wondered Ellen Lorn to herself.  
**"Because of the path you chose." **said the voice in her head. Ellen shook her head.  
"I chose nothing." she said quietly. She continued walking down the beach at Olivine City, wandering aimlessly.

But something was there, glinting in the sun. Small, red and silver.

What was it?

Ellen walked over to it.

It was an egg. It looked very close to hatching.

But what in Mew's name was it doing here? She picked it up, looking closely at it. It was definitely an actual egg.

There was a cracking noise.

"No way." said Ellen.

The egg started to crack open. A small birdlike head poked out.  
"Lat?" it said. It pushed itself out, destroying the egg completely.  
"No way… this isn't happening." said Ellen, suddenly struck by the fact that she had found a Latias egg seconds before it hatched.  
**"It is." **said the voice in her head. It didn't sound happy. The baby Latias was staring at her very oddly.

She began to glow.

Seconds later, Ellen was holding what looked like a human baby girl, wearing a white dress, with brown hair and blue eyes.  
"You need a name." said Ellen aloud. She thought for a second. "Gabrielle?" she said. The Latias smiled.  
"Gab… ri… elle…" she said, and went to sleep. Ellen was shocked. She'd heard that pokemon, especially legends, mature in strange bursts, but…

The voice in Ellen's head sighed.  
**"I assume this means we will be keeping the young one?" **it said. Ellen didn't need to reply. The voice sighed, and Ellen felt it reaching out.  
"What are you doing?" she said.  
**"Merely creating a link between us. I will not harm the child." **Ellen nodded.

In front of her eyes, the sleeping girl's hair brightened, changing from brown, through to a deep blood-red. The same shade as Ellen's eyes.

"And that is..?" she said.  
**"Heh. Merely a side-effect."** said the voice, amused.

Ellen sighed.

"What do we do now?" she wondered.

She carried on walking down the beach.

Eventually, she came into sight of Olivine. She saw something that made her think. Behind the lighthouse, a large mansion.

Ellen started to walk towards the mansion.

When she reached it, it was easier to see the large crest on the gates; a shield over a sword, with a large diamond pictured on the shield. The crest of the Verin family of Johto. Ellen walked in.

Someone came out to greet her.  
"Ellen!?" said Jonathon Verin. He looked closely at her, and Gabrielle.

"Is that a baby? It's not-" Ellen shook her head.  
"It's not what you think." she said, predicting his next question.  
"Then what is it?" he asked.  
"You wouldn't believe me." she told him. He laughed at that.  
"Try me. Come in." he said, opening the door.

* * *

Blades collide. Ellen is sparring with Jonathon.

Their families have always had a strong link.

"Ellen, you're doing very well. It's barely been half a year, and you're catching up to me." he says.  
"I try." she says, smirking.  
"Yay Ellen!" says Gabrielle. She already looks about five, and has done for a while. She acts it too. Legendary pokemon have really weird growth spurts.  
**"How long will it be before you kill him?" **says Nemezure, irritated. Still fighting, Ellen thinks back her reply.  
"I don't kill my friends."

"Can I have a go?" asks Gabrielle. They stop the fight.

"I don't know." says Jonathon. "How old would you say she is now?" Ellen thinks.  
"Technically? 'Bout half a year. Actually? About five." She says. He nods.  
"I agree. If you think she could, she could." he says. Ellen nods.  
"Gabrielle, come up here." she says. Gabrielle jumps up.  
"yes?" Jonathon fixes a small badge with the sword and shield emblem on her dress.  
"You are now an official student of the Defence Discipline." he said, smiling.

* * *

"Ellen, I'm proud to say that you have learnt everything I can teach you." said Jonathon. He reaches inside his cloak, and comes out with a new badge. It looks like the other, a shield over a sword, but it is edged in gold.  
"I can't give you the normal badge, as you aren't from our family, but this will have to do as your mastery badge." he hands it to her, and she pins it on her shirt, under her cloak, next to the winged blade badge of her Lorn mastery.

"What about me?" says Gabrielle.  
"You've only been training for half a year." says Jonathon. "Most people take a few years to get their first mastery."  
"Jonathon… I appreciate everything you've done." starts Ellen. He smiles.  
"You want to leave?" he says. She nods. "I understand. What about Gabrielle?" he asks.  
"I can train her in both styles." says Ellen. He nods.  
"in that case I only have one question left." he clears his throat, trying to think of the best way to say this. "You know about… your… parents, death, right?" she nods, slowly.  
"Do you know who did it?" she hesitates.  
"Yes." he nods. Then he thinks of something.  
"Did you do it?" She gasps slightly, putting one hand on a sword.

"Yes." he nods slowly.

"I thought so. But now I know, I can't help you anymore. That's why I didn't ask until you were leaving. If I see you I will have to try and catch you." She nods.  
"I understand." and walks away, taking Gabrielle.  
**"You told him! You idiot!" **says the voice. **"Kill him! Quickly, before he tells anyone!" **She gets a little annoyed.  
"I told you, I don't kill my friends." she says.  
"Ellen, who are you talking to?" says Gabrielle. Ellen has no idea how to respond.  
"Umm… well, I'm kinda… possessed." she says.  
"Oh."

"What does that mean?"

* * *

"I'm bpred." mutters Ellen to herself.  
**"Well, you can always kill someone."  
**"Killing isn't fun."  
**"You know you've enjoyed it."  
**"That's because I hated them."  
**"Well, there must be other people you hate."  
**Ellen thinks of her hometown, Saffron City. So many people there she hates.  
"Yes. I know people I can kill."

* * *

"Many people have been killed in a Saffron City housing estate. This area contains higher cost homes, in the vicinity of the abandoned Lorn mansion. The killers are currently on the run. Two girls, one about thirteen with red eyes and brown hair and one about five with blue eyes and bright red hair. Do not underestimate them, they are armed and very dangerous."

* * *

"Mew?" said Celebi.  
"Yes?" she replied.  
"EWllen's killed people. In Saffron." Mew sighs.  
"Are you sure we shouldn't do something?"  
"We can't interfere with this prophecy. Too much is at stake."  
"But… doesn't she come for us?" says Mew. Celebi grimaces.  
"I know exactly what to do there." he says.

* * *

It was only the day after that they came.  
"You." said a voice. Ellen ignored it.  
"Look at me now." said the voice. She ignored it. She heard the sound of a gun being cocked at her.

She stood up, turned around and knocked the gun away in one lightning fast, fluid movement. She was looking into the eyes of a very surprised man, about twenty to look at him. Standing behind him was a woman, looking even more surprised. Ellen walked backwards a little. Gabrielle was there, giggling a little.  
"What do you want?" said Ellen, sitting down and not looking at them again.  
"You killed our friend." said the man, still slightly shocked.  
"I killed a lot of people." she said, not quite believing it herself.  
**"You should be proud. You spilled a lot of innocent blood." **said the voice, like white-hot iron on her soul. She didn't respond to it.  
"Our friend was special. She was one of three of us… unique people."  
"Oh?" Ellen replies.  
"I am death." says the woman.  
"I am war." says the man.  
"You killed our friend, chaos." the man says.  
"And?" says Ellen. "Does that make me special?" she asks. They hesitate.  
"Yes. For a start you managed to kill him. And… the killer of any one of us gains the power." says the woman. Ellen smirks.  
"Does that make me chaos?" she asks.  
"Yes." say both of them at once.  
"Chaos…" she says. She thinks. "Kaosu, in the old language. Ellen Kaosu Lorn… I like it." Gabrielle is wide eyed. She thinks of a question.  
"What is the ancient language?" she asks.  
"A very old language. I can teach you if you like."  
"Yay! Ok. Kaosu… kao!" Ellen smiles.  
"Kao… I like that."  
"You should come back to our place." says the woman. "Our organization headquarters." Ellen nods. The man shoots Ellen a look of pure hatred.

* * *

The woman had gone to bed. So had Gabrielle. Ellen was looking around with a very angry man. Ellen suddenly turned around to him.  
"You don't like me, do you?" she said suddenly. He was surprised, but gathered himself.  
"No. You killed my best friend, and I'm expected to like you because that means you join us." Ellen smiles.  
"I'm sure there are ways I can persuade you…" she says, moving closer to him. He realises what she means, and smiles.  
"I'm sure there are."

"My rooms down there."

_End of chapter two of the Fallen. Yes, they have sex. No, she's not about 10. She's TECHNICALLY 11, actually closer to 15. (Will be explained next chapter)_

_Buhbye! REVIEW!! Or Gabrielle and Ellen (And Nemezure) get told where you live and told you come from Saffron._


	6. Tales 6: Beginnings 3: Shadows

_Hiya! Back to beginnings for us. I nicked the title from Doctor who. Enjoy!_

From now on.  
"Example." is talking  
**"Example."** is someone whose possessed and has utterly lost control talking.  
_**"Example."**_ is a demon talking.

Disclaimer-See previous chapter. Honestly. It hasn't changed since then, now, has it?

Tales of the Blade Chapter 6-Beginnings 3: The Shadows are Moving

"What!" shouted James. "No!"

But it was true.

They immediately began to look around, but all they found was her belt, complete with both weapons and six pokeballs.

"This is not good. Not good. Mot only is she gone, but she doesn't have any way of defending herself." said Alan.

Sam was smirking.

"What the hell are we going to do?" shouted James.

"There's nothing we can do." said Alan. "She must have been taken through the tear, and it's closed now. There's nothing we can do." he said.

Sam let out a small chuckle.

Everyone stared at him, and then at James.

James punched him. Hard. He fell to the floor.

"Yeah, just because I don't like your girlfriend."

James kicked him in the head.

"You're lucky she is gone. If she knew you said that you'd have got worse than that."

Then he walked away from the group.

"Alan, you're kind of in charge of this. Say something!" appealed Sam.

There was a short silence.

"Hey! James!" shouted Alan.  
"What?"  
"Well done."

* * *

The group were sitting around. They didn't really have anything to do, or the motivation to do it. Mew and Celebi had gone away to check for any more information they could get.

Sam was sitting away from the rest of the group. None of them were talking to him.

"Hey! Hiya!" said mew, bouncing down the hill with a silly grin on her face.  
"What?" said Alan.  
"We found something."  
"Great." said Alan.  
"Oh, don't worry, we'll get your friend back."  
"Yeah?" he said, sarcastically. Mew smiled.

"Pixies promise! Anyway, this town in Orre, it's emanating not very nice thoughts."  
"We need to do something about it." said Celebi, teleporting in.  
Alan sighed.  
"Fine. Guys? We need to go. In Orre, you're place, Alex." Alex nodded.  
"Hey, I had an idea." said Mew excitedly.  
"What?" said Celebi.  
"Well, we asked that Sneasel if she knew anything about the demons, but we only asked about where the demons were, not what they want or anything."  
There was a pause.  
"Good point." said Alan. "James, can you pass me Tsume's pokeball?"  
James passed the ultra ball to him. Alan opened it.  
"Hi!" she said. "What do you want?" she looked around. "Where's Miss Lauren?"  
"The demons have her." said James bitterly.  
"Oh no…" said Tsume. "Oh no, oh no. This is really bad."  
"I'll say." said Alan.  
"We want to know everything you can tell us about the demon-shadow things."  
Tsume nodded.  
"Not much. Um… they don't come from here. They come from another world, and they can't exist in this one without finding a host. See, there is too much happiness in this world. They feed of despair and evil. And that's why they're here; they want to feed off a world ripe with unhappiness, like ours so easily could be. I don't know why they'd want Miss Lauren…" Alan nodded.  
"Thanks. You've been a great help." said Celebi. James returned Tsume to her pokeball.  
"So, how does that help?" said Celebi.  
"Well, I know one thing." said James, unhappily.  
"What?" said Alan.  
"That explains why they want Lauren. They want a strong host."

* * *

"What do you want?" spat Lauren at the figure in a shadows.  
"You. Or, to be exact, your body." he said.  
"I will never allow one of your kind to use me."  
"Good." said the figure. "I hate it when people give in easily."  
"If I was loose…" threatened Lauren.  
"Yes, but you're not." said the figure. "And I'm glad we managed to get you. The prisoner being a girl makes this all so much more… fun."

The defiance drained from Lauren's face, replaced by disgust, and maybe a little fear.

"I see you understand what I mean."

Lauren tried to think of something witty to say. She failed. Instead, she said something very short, very vulgar, and very rude.

The figure laughed.

"You'll be begging for the demon soon." he said. "An end to the pain."

* * *

_Sigh. Why am I always mean to my favourite characters? Oh well. That's the way the cookie crumbles. Enjoy, and review, or I set Ellen, Gabrielle and Ebony on you._


	7. Tales 7: The Fall 2: Trouble

_The Fall. Part 2. This starts to get bad…_

Tales of the Blade Chapter 7-The Fall 2: Trouble

"Ok. What the hell are we going to do?" said Nathaniel. "He killed my son. We have to do something."  
"We should apologise." says Alan. There was an incredulous silence. "Lewis tried to kill Adam. Didn't you see?"  
"No. We didn't." said Nathaniel, coldly. "All we saw was MY son cut down in cold blood."  
"After he attacked when the fight was over, with his blade unsealed."  
"He was trying to regain some honour by fighting the last two rounds."  
"Beginning with an unjust attack."

"Why are you arguing with your own son?" said Melissa, Nathaniel's wife.  
"Don't worry Mel, it's only natural he's defending his girlfriends family honour."

There was silence.

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Alan.  
"Oh come on Dad, we all know you're fucking Lauren." said Nathaniel.  
Another silence.  
"Oh? Why's that?" he turns to the rest of his family. "Come on, you can't really believe it."

No-one meets his gaze.

"See? They know it's true."

Nathaniel's eyes go slightly cold.

"I see. Then you don't need me here. I know you won't listen to me. Go dig your own graves. I'll have no part in it."

And he leaves the room.

"I hope Lauren can persuade her family to see sense…" he says to himself.

* * *

"Ok, we all saw it." says Lauren. "Lewis tried to kill Adam."  
"Yes. It's outrageous! What are we going to do?" said Laurens son, Jonathon Lorn.  
"He must have been acting on his own. It was a sloppy attack." said Lauren dismissively. Jonathon nodded.  
"True. But there is another problem. They didn't see him unseal his sword. From their view, Adam, you killed him for no reason."  
"I didn't!" said Adam.  
"We know that. They'll probably challenge you to another duel. To the death." said Jonathon, grimly.  
"What? But it will probably be Nathaniel… I can't beat him!" said Adam.  
"I can." Lauren said quietly.

* * *

There were two sides in the meeting the next day. All of the Jasters and Rofani's were on one side, while the Lorn and Verin families, along with Alan and Catherine, who knew the truth, were on the other.

As always, the Sonais were silent, not interrupting the matters and taking neither side.

"What do you have to say!?" demanded Nathaniel.  
"I only defended myself!" said Adam.  
"You killed my son in cold blood." he said. "I challenge you to an honour duel. To the death." he said.

"Your challenge is accepted, Nathaniel Jaster." said Lauren. "As you know, a challenge is between families not people."

Nathaniel gaped. This was more than he could handle.

"I will fight for the Jasters." said Sam Rofani. Everyone knew that he only wanted to kill Lauren. But it was permitted.

"Yes. Sam will fight for us." said Nathaniel, hugely relieved.

Once again, the fighters assembled. This time there was no sealing.

"I've waited a long time for this, bitch. Hope Alan can live without his girlfriend."  
Lauren just smiled, saying  
"Even if I was his girlfriend, he could congratulate me when I gave him your bastard head."

But the talk was over.

Sam immediately ran at Lauren, screaming something inarticulate and swinging his giant weapon at her. She just ducked, running under his arm and lashing quickly, opening a line of blood along his leg. He screamed with pain and anger, a flood of anger pouring out of him, slowing her reactions. Not that that made much of a difference to someone who was often said to be faster than lightning.

He put his finger on his sword, drawing blood. He licked the blood off, and then shouted.

"Bloodwind!"

It did what it sounded like. A storm brewed, raining blood, with a wind blowing the blood straight at her. Within seconds she was almost covered.

She ran right past him with insane speed, cutting a tiny nick in his arm. The pain was enough to end the attack.

Lauren looked like she had the fight in the bag.

Nevertheless, when Sam swung his blade faster than ever before, Lauren was too off balance to dodge it. She brought up a golden sword to block it.

The sword smashed right through it, slowing down enough to save her life as it cut into her shoulder.

She looked at the shards of the sword, stepping backwards.

"You broke my sword." she said, in disbelief. "This is one of a kind…"

The shards seem to melt, flowing towards her, up her leg and onto the broken sword, until it looks as good as ever.

"Well, that's new." she says. Then she feels the pain from her shoulder.

"You actually hit me. I… do not… get HIT!"

He was smirking. Lauren screamed at him, and ran at him. She prepared a guard, but at the range when he expected her to attack, she shouted.

"CHAOS BLADE!" she screamed, ballistic with fury.

In the audience, Adam's mouth opened wide.

Her first attack was obvious and easily blocked, regardless of its speed. As Lauren vanished, reappearing behind him, he just managed to block the next. She vanished again, reappearing with a both bladed attack from above. To his credit, he ducked one and blocked the other.

The fourth strike cut him in the back, making him cry out in pain.

The fifth cut across one arm, opening a huge cut that immediately started bleeding badly, leaving him to hold his sword one handed, regardless of its weight.

The sixth stabbed through one leg, causing a giant wound.

The seventh whistled past his stomach, scoring a long line across it.

The eighth chopped down onto his shoulder, in a stroke leaving the same wound as Lauren bore.

The ninth strike saw Lauren, her eyes cold, slash down and completely sever the hand holding the sword.

The tenth strike. Lauren reappeared directly in front of but a metre or so above Sam, falling quickly and slashing with both blades. Sam's head parted with his neck. Lauren landed on him, kicking him down and standing on his body.

She sheathed her swords.

She turned to Adam.

"And that is how you do a Chaos Blade."

It was at that moment that Celebi and Mew ran in to stop the fight.

"Oh." said Mew, seeing Lauren with her swords covered in blood. "Is now a bad time?"

* * *

_Yes, she's slightly psycho. Where did you think Ellen got it from? Waddya think, anyway? REVIEW!_


	8. Tales 8: The Fallen 3: Power

Hiya people

_Speaking of Ellen, guess what arc it is now? Yep, you guessed it. Beginnings!  
Nah, kidding. Fallen. My favourite. I wouldn't skip it for a bad joke…_

Remember,  
**"Someone who's possessed and is under the demons control speaks like this."  
**_**"A demon's voice sounds like this."**_

Knowledge _is_ Power.

Disclaimer-See previous chapters. (Go for chap 1, I have a feeling I forgot last time.) Combiomorphs belong to pikachuhunter1. Be nice to her. :)

Tales of the Blade Chapter 8-The Fallen 3: Knowledge and Power

"Hey! Baka!" yells Ellen.  
"What?" says the man.  
"I challenge you to a duel. You know, for practice." she says.  
"Yeah, alright then. We have a training room. I'll meet you there in a few minutes." he says, smiling at her. "And pick up Janine."

* * *

"Ok then. We will begin." he says. "But I should warn you, I know two styles." he says proudly. Ellen snorts as he shows two silver edged badges. Silver? That's barely Warrior level. And they weren't even from one of the five main styles.

Ellen opened her cloak, showing off her two gold rimmed badges. He gapes.

"Begin already." says Janine. They draw their swords, attacking.

Within two strikes Ellen had disarmed him and cut his throat.

Janine gaped.

"And I didn't even know his name." smirks Ellen.

"What the hell? I'll kill you!" yells Janine, drawing a sword of her own.

Within seconds, she lies in a pool of blood on the floor.

"_**I thought you didn't kill your friends?" **_asked Nemezure.  
"They're not my friends." said Ellen. "Smug bastards."  
_**"Then why did you..?"  
**_"Gotta try it some time." said Ellen.  
The demon smiled to itself.

"It's time to spread chaos." she said.  
_**"And war, and death. Don't forget them."  
**_"I suppose that is me now." she said. A flicker of doubt crossed her face. Then it was gone.  
"And war. And death."

* * *

"Greetings." said Ellen.  
"Who the hell are you?" said the man in front of her, a scientist wearing a white lab coat with an 'R' emblazoned on it in red. "How did you get past security?"  
"Those idiots?" said Ellen. "They weren't even worth my time."  
"Done it Kao-sama. Hiya!" said Gabrielle, walking in with a bloodied sword.  
"Thank you hime." said Ellen. "Now, I have a proposition for you." she said.  
"What?" said the scientist, still slightly shocked that two elite rockets had been killed by what looked like a five year-old girl.  
"You are the doctor in front of the pokemorph experiments, aren't you?" she asked.  
He nodded.  
"Well, I think I can help you improve their abilities." she said. She walked over to one of the control panels.  
_**"Press that. No, forget that. Let me do it."**_ she did. She tapped a series of keys, pulled a few levers and then clicked on 'initiate'.  
"What are you doing?" said the scientist. Ellen became herself again.  
"By combining specific genetics from the changelings, the pokemorphs can gain the ability to become fully either pokemon or human." she said. "That's just a start. Now will you accept my help?"  
"Yes." said the scientist. "My name is Io."  
"Well then Io. This is what I've come to give you. The abilities of one pokemon are powerful, but what if there was a way of combining two?" she asked. "Add that into the pokemorph mix and it will be incredibly more powerful."  
"Two or more pokemon… some kind of… combiomorph!" he said, catching on.  
"Yes. For example, a Scyther-Machamp cross could have four sword-arms."  
"Excellent. But, this is purely untested. Who shall we try it on?" he asked.

Ellen smiled.

"Me."

* * *

"It's ready." said Io. "You should get into the operating chamber." he said.

Ellen tapped a couple of keys to decide on the pokemon, and then entered the chamber.

The door closed behind her.

There was a series of agonizing screams, and then silence.

"Has it worked?" said Io.

"Oh, it worked." said Ellen, stumbling from out of the chamber.

"Can I see a test?" he asked. Ellen smiled. She began to glow, like an evolving pokemon, and then the light grew, to a larger size, almost half again as tall.  
One arm changed into a sword like blade, in a black and purple colour, the other changing into a paw-hand _thing_.

When the light faded, Ellen snorted with laughter, and a ring of purple flames spurted out from her furred neck.

She looked part human, part Gallade, part Typhlosion. The whole was terrifying, regardless of the fact that it was all in a black-purple colour

"Typhlosion and Gallade? Interesting results." said Io, scribbling down a description.

"I thought so." said Ellen, returning to normal. "I'll leave now." she said.  
"No! In barely a week you have improved our operation so much…" he said.  
"Oh, and who's going to stop me?" she laughed.  
"I hoped you would see sense…" said Io. "But if it has to be like this, then we can't allow you to leave." he said. A huge group of rocket soldiers entered, all with guns. She laughed, changing into her combio-form with a flash.  
"Shall we?" she said.  
_**"We shall."  
**_"Hellfyre Wave!" she shouted, making up a name for her technique as she used it.  
Io dived behind a machine as Ellen was silhouetted in flames, which blasted out in a continuous wave of black and purple fire.

When, after a few minutes, she finally stopped, only ashes remained of the rockets. The lab was in ruins, the walls melted ant the wires inside utterly destroyed. Io was cowering behind a half melted console.

Ellen returned to normal.

A bullet was fired from behind the door. One of the rockets had hidden around the corner.

Ellen held up her arms in front of her. A green field appeared.

The bullet blounced off.

Ellen smiled.

"Ooh, Protect. That might be useful. Let's see… Fireball?" she said, making a throwing motion.

The rocket fell to the floor, dead.

Ellen walked out of the base laughing.

"Either Giovanni will kill me for the destruction of the lab or promote me for surviving with the knowledge of how to make more like her." said Io. He sighed.  
"It's about fifty-fifty."

* * *

_Heh. She's losing whatever sanity she had. Being possessed can do that.  
I'm considering writing a 'deleted scenes' fic for Tales of the blade. It will contain lemons and any other thing I think relevant that I can't do in T._

_Nah, even I don't believe me when I say that. Lemons. Probably just them. Should I do it? Oh, and REVIEW! Pretty please..?_


	9. Tales 9: The Shadows 1: Trouble

Hiya people

_Sorry for those who were looking forward to Beginnings. Here we have a new arc. The Shadows. This, unlike most of mine, is based around the Sonai. (Yes, I'm using someone other than the Lorns! Kind of.)_

Disclaimer-I still do not own pokemon. I hope you didn't expect anything else.

Summary of previous Chapter-First episode of the arc. About Alicia and Jonathon Sonai, of the Orre family.

Tales of the Blade Chapter 9-The Shadows 1-Trouble

The darkness. Silent. To some, forbidding, evil, the hideout of dark creatures, and equally nasty people. To others, a refuge, a hideout from the horror of the world. To the family Sonai, it was a training ground, as well as the best battlefield they could ever hope for during a fight.

Alicia Sonai had heard that Cipher was operating again. They had done terrible things, simply terrible things. They had stolen pokemon from their trainers and friends and removed their emotions and their memories, turning them into living weapons.

It could not be allowed to happen again.

Silently, she ran through the shadows, one hand on the sword on her back. She heard a noise, and froze instantly. It could just be a normal person, and a friendly, if quick, greeting. But it could equally be a cipher agent and a fight the death.

The figure passed, and Alicia continued. The supposed cipher base was outside the town, quite a way.

It took Alicia a couple of minutes to reach it.

There was a derelict sign, from when Cipher had masqueraded as an honest organisation.

_Warning: Property of the Cipher Foundation  
__Trespassers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law_

More like executed, thought Alicia. She ran past it, deep into the 'abandoned' building.

After a few hallways, she came across a door. This one looked like all the others; destroyed. But it wasn't. Alicia scraped at it, revealing new, undamaged, clean metal underneath.

She drew her sword, and whispered, closing her eyes.

"Silent Blade."

The sword glowed with a strange black light, and she swung it into the door. It cut through with a terrific smash.

A silent smash. No noise came from the enhanced metal of the sword, nor the hard steel of the door, not even when pieces hit the ground.

On the other side was shining metal corridors, restored, and obviously in use.

Fortunately, no cameras. They wouldn't know that was here.

Alicia ran inwards, as fast as she could, hoping she would not encounter anyone. That would be harder to do silently.

It was a vain hope.

A soldier, carrying a couple of pokeballs and a rifle, appeared. He saw her, and exclaimed with surprise, aiming the gun quickly.

Alicia glowed for a second, and a Lucario, eyes burning took her place and moved forward at an incredible speed, cutting the rifle in half with the double bladed sword she had drawn in an instant.

The soldier's eyes widened. He fumbled with a pokeball with one hand, calling command with the other.

"Intruder! Female, dark hair, very dangerous and-"

He had no time to say more. His head was no longer attached to his body. Alicia was human again, arm extended, body low, head down, the sword almost exactly where his head had been. She looked up.

"_Shit." _thought Alicia. She ran forwards, faster than normal, no longer needing to be so quiet.

She heard approaching troops, and ducked behind a pillar. They started to walk past, but they stopped.

Her breath quickened slightly. She knew they couldn't find her. She was silent and near invisible like this. It had never failed.

But there was always a first time.

Not this time. They passed.

And then they stopped.

One of them was holding up a hand, eyes glowing slightly. He shouted suddenly, pointing directly at her. The soldiers all pointed their weapons at her.

They fired.

Turning into a Lucario, Alicia span, using Force Palm to knock the bullets out of the air, counter to destroy them and Mirror Coat to throw them back at the soldiers.

She was unhurt by the storm of fire.

The psychic put up a powerful energy shield, and started to talk down his comm. link.

"Admin, the intruder is a female changeling or possibly morph of some kind, known form Lucario. Carrying a hand and a half sword with dagger end like the family of Sonai traditionally do. Is wearing black clothes, including shimmering cloak that seems to confuse the mind and bewilder the senses. I barely saw her. Looks to be between nineteen and twenty five, Black hair, tall, very, very fast and skilled."

Alicia had cut down almost half the patrol. they weren't just grunts either, but veterans, and most had released pokemon to help her.

There were ten veterans each with five pokemon, as well as the psychic when they found her.

Now there was the psychic, four veterans and maybe eighteen pokemon fighting her.

"By the looks of her abilities, appearance and fighting style, I believe she may be Alicia Sonai, sister of the Sonai heir. Request backup, repeat, backup required. I'm going to attempt to fight her."  
"Acknowledged. We're despatching elites as we speak. Good luck, Peon Jones."  
"Thank you, command." the psychic disengaged his comm., drawing a knife and a pistol from his belt, and throwing out three pokeballs. A Gallade, a Scyther and an Arcanine appeared.

They attacked.

Jones was skilled, very skilled, but alone he would have been dead in seconds. No minor school of fighting could defeat a Blademaster in fair, one-on-one combat. But this wasn't one-on-one, and it certainly wasn't fair.

Alicia was fighting a decent warrior, blocking a knife, dodging pistol rounds and also fighting off the blades of the Gallade and Scyther, the claws of the Arcanine, and volleys of fire from the soldiers and their pokemon.

Even she was having trouble.

She cut through the Scyther's guard, cutting a deep gash across its armour, putting it out of the fight, though not dead. She jumped over the psychic into the soldiers, killing one and jumping out of the way of the crossfire.

The soldiers counterattack killed another by accident.

Alicia was really enjoying herself. A good fight was hard to find. But she had things to do.

"Demon Shroud." she said. Her skin went black, her head sprouting horns, her back wings and a tail. The light seemed to fade until it was pitch black. Only the living things were visible, as if lit by some grey flame.

And a shockwave of fear spread across the corridor.

Jones hadn't noticed, but a constant emotional wave was coming from her. He had subconsciously knocked it out, but this was far stronger. He could barely keep fighting.

Behind him, a veteran went mad, shooting indiscriminately at her, and then killing himself.

She dodged every round. Many of the attacking pokemon didn't.

There was only a psychic and his two pokemon, a veteran, and maybe seven other pokemon left.

"Stop!" shouted Jones, a wave of psychic power striking Alicia. Her demonic form vanished, along with the unnatural darkness.

A voice and a wave of light slashed through the corridor.

"Well said." said the new peon, a Zapdos glowing with black aura next to him, sparking, a chain of black lightning between her and it.

Alicia was literally rooted. A thunder wave so powerful and fast she could neither dodge nor escape. She had a problem.

"Hmm…" said the peon, walking forwards, casually bringing a sword out from his belt. He looked at Alicia. "Yes."

He put the blade to her neck.  
"Zapdos, you can stop now."

The electricity drained away, and Alicia could move again. She tried to spin away.

The sword was there. The peon was there, the same arrogant smirk on his face.  
"Come on, surely you can do better than that."  
Alicia grit her teeth. This guy was really annoying.

She concentrated as hard as she could, and in a split second turned into a Lucario and used the most powerful Force Palm she could straight into his stomach. He went spiralling into a wall.

"Ooh, very nice. Yes, I think you'll do very well." said the peon, from behind her.

The illusion melted away into the floor.

Another jolt of black lightning struck her. She cried out from the pain, changing back into a human.

Sword still to her neck, the peon smiled.  
"Swordsmaster, check, changeling, check. Strange though, what's with the weird black irises?" he asked.

She said nothing.

"No matter. You'll do."

Quickly, he withdrew the sword and span away, grabbing a pokeball.

He threw it at her.

It bounced off. Alicia smiled again.  
"That won't work. All changelings have learnt a simple way round that."  
"Yes, but no-one has a way round this." replied the peon, taking a small, orange device and fitting it to his wrist, and placing a master ball in it. He pressed a button, a flash of orange light surrounding the ball, and he threw it.

Halfway to her, it opened, a claw of orange light coming out and grabbing her, dragging her in.

A snag machine.

And then there was only darkness.

_Well? How's that for the start of a fic? Or chapter, at least. I hope you like it, 'cause I do._


	10. Tales 10: Beginnings 4: Knowledge

_Now we're back to Beginnings. Enjoy!_

Disclaimer-Shock Horror, I _still _don't own pokemon.

Previous Chapter Synopsis-Lauren has been captured, presumably by the demons, and is being tortured. Tsume, Lauren's Sneasel, told the group everything she knew about the demons. Mew and Celebi have located another place to attack, and Mew has promised that they will find Lauren again.

Tales of the Blade Chapter 10-Beginnings 4-Knowledge and Ignorance

"You should not have told them that…" muttered Celebi, so only Mew could hear him. "Messing with something this important is dangerous. Stick to the Prophecy."  
"Aw, but where's the fun if you just follow a pre-laid plan?" she shot back.  
Celebi sighed, and shook his head in disbelief.

* * *

"So…how far is this place?" asked Alan.  
"Only a couple of minutes away." Said Celebi. He and Mew had disabled their human forms a while ago, floating being easier and more natural to them.  
"It's there." He finished, pointing.

It was huge. More a Fortress than a newly built secret hideout.  
"We have to get in there?" asked Alan.  
"Yeps!" said Mew, laughing.  
"Yes." Said Celebi. "But…Lauren's in there."  
"Are you sure?" asked Alan.  
"Pretty sure." Answered Celebi.  
"Then we've got to get in." said James. "Wait…do you know how this turns out? Do we get in?" he asked.  
Celebi hesitated, before answering.  
"Yes, we get in."  
There was a short silence.  
"Do we get out again? All of us? With Lauren?" James asked, slowly.

Celebi hesitated again.  
"Not all of you. James, if Lauren gets out, as herself, you don't."

This time there was dead silence. No noise, save that of the light breeze in the desert.  
"Are you sure you want to go?" asked Celebi, softly.  
"If you need to ask, you don't know me." Said James, quietly, his face pale.

* * *

"Do we go quietly? Sneak in? Or do we fight our way in?" said Alan.  
"Fighting is always the most fun way." Said Sam.  
"Secrecy is always more effective." Said Alex.  
They looked at each other, Sam with undisguised disgust, Alex showing absolutely no interest at all.  
"Why don't we split up?" asked Mew, doing a few loops in the air. "Me, Sam and Alan can go in the front, and Alex, James and Celebi can sneak in." she said, landing and changing back into her human disguise.

Celebi, already in human form, looked around.  
"Well, does that sound like a good plan?"

There were murmurs of assent from each of them.  
"Well then. Ok, there are two main places Lauren is likely to be. There are two prison blocks, at opposite ends of the facility. We'll go eastern block; you go for the northern one. It's slightly closer, as well." Said Celebi.  
They nodded.  
"Lets go. If you get to your objective and she isn't there, head for the other. I have a couple of maps that I made. I'll take one, Alan, you have the other. Good luck." Finished Celebi. He motioned to Alex and James, and they followed him as they started down towards the building.

* * *

"I give!" sobbed Lauren.  
The figure smiled, and shouted, red eyes glinting in the half-darkness.  
"Prepare _immediately._"  
One of the shadowy figures guarding the room nodded, and left.

The figure smiled.  
"I knew you'd see it our way eventually."

* * *

Mew, Alan and Sam were walking casually up to the gate, not even trying to be stealthy. As he always was when he wasn't fighting, Sam was complaining.  
"Why do we get the pink kitten girl anyway?"  
"This is why!" chirped the kitten goddess in response as she held out her hands, and stopped walking a few metres from the gate.  
There was a noise like the crackle of lightning, and a smell like ozone, as her hands started to glow pink.

And then a wave of pink energy shot out from them, growing large as it hurtled towards the fortress.

With a crack like thunder, it struck the gates, huge, solid metal things.

They shattered into so many fragments of metal, crashing downwards onto the ground. The towers on each side of the gate collapsed, without anything to hold their weight. The area above the gates fell in, causing more havoc.

Mew laughed, and clapped her hands in triumph.  
Sam just mumbled, as the first guards ran towards them, as he unslung his sword,  
"I could have done that."

* * *

"Right…so how do we get in?" said Celebi.  
James stared at him.  
"You don't have a plan?"  
"No, you're the experts."  
"Both of you be quiet." said Alex. "This is meant to be a stealth mission."

He thought for a second.  
"Take my hand." He said.

They stared at him.

"Just do it." said Alex, sighing.  
They did.

Alex concentrated, breathing in deeply, and started to walk towards the wall, dragging them with him.

They winced as they hit the wall.

And gasped as they walked through it.

It was a thick wall. Metres, in fact, but they got through.

They noticed that Alex was sweating, holding their hands very tightly. As soon as they were free of the wall, he collapsed.

Celebi knelt down to him.  
"Recover." he said, putting one hand on his chest.

Alex opened his eyes.  
"Thanks… I didn't think it would be that thick. Are we close?" he asked, coughing slightly.  
"Well… put it this way." said Celebi, starting to smile. "After that stunt… the block is about five metres away, through THAT door."

* * *

"Shame we have to kill them." said Mew, brightly, as she slashed through a pair of guards with a blade of psychic energy.  
Sam disagreed, but he didn't argue, instead focussing on cutting through the guards who came at him, one by one.  
Alan decided he might as well answer.  
"Because they're evil?" he suggested, concentrating, and channelling a bolt of lightning through his sword at the coming guards. They were incinerated.  
"Well, yeah, but I wish we didn't have to kill them…" said Mew sadly, as she destroyed the last attackers with a psychic pulse.

"In then?" said Alan.  
"Yep!" said Mew, her happy mood restored instantly.

It was starting to get on Sam's nerves.

* * *

"Are you ready to move?" asked Celebi.  
"Yeah." said Alex. To prove it, he stood up.  
Celebi nodded, and they moved to the door, moving into the eastern prison block.

They looked around, but there were hundreds of cells, and slightly larger rooms, better conditions but not exactly hotels, and they were all around a large raised area, like a stage.

It had a door in it, leading back into the rest of the building.

It didn't take that long for the three to know she wasn't in any of the cells, nor the rooms. No-one seemed to be.

They gathered below the stage, planning what to do next.  
"We said we'd go to the other end."  
"What if she's not there either?" asked James, slightly worried.  
"Relax." said Celebi. "She's in this building. I know that. And it's not where we go that's a problem, but how?"  
"We should go through that door. It'll be fastest. It's not worth trying the same trick to get out then in again. Besides, I'm not sure if I could." said Alex.

That was one of the longest speeches James had ever heard him say.

A door opened. The one above them.

Footsteps.

Someone landed maybe five metres in front of them, having jumped from the stage.

They were alone, wearing a cloak with a hood, obscuring their face.

The figure straightened up, and turned around. It was a woman, but her face was shrouded in darkness.

"Who are you?" asked James.  
"What, you don't recognise me?" asked the woman.

She put down the hood.

"Lauren?" gasped James.

"Not quite." said Lauren, red eyes twinkling.

_Hehe. Don't worry, I'll write the next one soon. Very soon, in fact. Probably next.  
Oh, and the title will be explained next Beginnings._


	11. Tales 11: The Fall 3: Consequences

_I considered posting more Beginnings, but I think I'll write Fallen. Sorry. This one ends soon anyway. Shortest arc._

Tales of the Blade Chapter 11-The Fall 3-Consequences

"Get out!" shouted Nathaniel.  
"If they leave, so do I." said Alan.  
"Fine then." he said, his voice furious, but calm.

Moving almost as one, the entire Lorn household left, accompanied by Alan and Catherine.

Hesitating, James and his family followed them.

Mew said nothing, her lip trembling.

Celebi sighed.  
"We're too late. Prophecy or no prophecy, some things cannot just be allowed to happen."

No-one but Mew was listening to him.

Nathaniel was yelling, furious.  
"Traitors! They'll kill their own? Well, I cast them out! As the senior blademaster present of the Jaster family, by the authority handed down to me, I cast them out." he said.  
"Any objections?" he said.  
The Rofani agreed entirely with what he was saying.  
The Sonai said nothing. No-one knows if they just didn't care or they knew they were outnumbered.  
"We blademasters are above men. Almost like angels. Well, then they are the Fallen Angels. Never again will our two families meet in friendship!" he shouted. He was really starting to get into it.  
"What about the blademaster school?" said Celebi.  
"We can do it without them. We can run it with less styles."  
"No, you can't." said Celebi.  
Everyone agreed with him.  
"Well, then we can get some of their students. Not that difficult, is it." he said.

Celebi sighed, and left, Mew following him. Nathaniel didn't notice. He was too busy ranting.

* * *

"They've outcast you." said Celebi, to Lauren.  
"I don't care." she said.  
"And your family." he said.  
Lauren winced, but stuck with it.  
"We don't care. That's his problem." she said, walking to the rest of her family.

Celebi sighed.  
"This is the way it was always going to be. Damnit, why do prophecy's always have to be so right?"  
"Well, if you'd let us change something…" said Mew reproachfully.  
Celebi sighed, and shook his head.  
"You know we can't. It has to be this way."

* * *

"James?" asked Alex, quietly.  
James turned, surprised to hear the other's voice here, of all places.  
"You are asked to attend a meeting." he said, short as always, and left.  
James turned, seeing Lauren casually leaning against a wall.  
"You should go." she said.  
"After what he did?" he growled.  
"Yes. Keep a foot in each camp." she said. "For me."

"James. Please."  
"Alright." he said, unwillingly. He stood, and left.

* * *

_One bad apple sours the basket._

* * *

_That's the end. End of the Fall, I believe. Shortest arc. I hope you enjoyed it._


	12. Tales 12: The Fallen 4: Partnership

_Welcome back! Sorry abut the update wait. Once again, my computer's fault. Anyhoo, enjoy the next chapter of the Fallen. Ellen is back. Yay._

Disclaimer-See Chapter 1.

Tales of the Blades Chapter 12-The Fallen 4-A Strange Partnership

An explosion rang out.

The side of the rocket laboratory fell out from the energy. The power lines running away from the reactor sparked.

The remains of the reactor oozed noxious smoke.

One solitary figure walked calmly into the breach. One young, maybe 13, 15 year old girl, with long brown hair, and a pair of swords on her belt, and a cloak drawn around them.

She didn't bother with stealth.

A guard saw her, as he ran out to check what was up with the power.

She drew one sword, faster than the eye could see, and separated the guards head from his shoulders. She grinned, the last sight the rocket ever saw being her dark smile and smouldering, blood red eyes.

"_**And why are we here again?**_" Growled Nemezure.  
"Because I'm attacking Team Rocket. Don't want them starting a war." she said.  
"_**Why not?**_"  
"My job is Chaos. Not Good, not evil. Besides, more fun this way. Get more enemies." said Ellen.

"Kao-sama!" cried out Gabrielle, flying from inside the complex and changing back into her human form, a young, maybe seven year old girl with bright red hair. "I went in and found what you wanted!"  
"Good. Where?" asked Ellen.  
"This way!" said Gabrielle, darting back inside.

Ellen followed, trying to keep up with her energetic ward.

She skidded to a halt as a rocket guard attacked Gabrielle. And smiled as, with a shimmer of Dark energy, Gabrielle's own sword slashed through the soldier, trailing the energy of a Night Slash.

Gabrielle turned to Ellen.  
"Was that good?"  
"You did great, hime. Keep going."

It wasn't long before they reached a large chamber. The shattered hinges of a strong security door paid testament to the strength of Gabrielle's special attacks, just as the bodies of rocket's lying around showed her sword skill.

Inside were hundreds upon thousands of cages.

Ellen reached over to a large button, holding her finger over it. She stopped, addressing what seemed to be an empty room.

"Hello. You might know me, but I doubt it. I am Ellen Kaosu Lorn. It's my fault some of you are here. My creation of the combiomorph idea led to this. Another lab. Well, you can leave. Feel free to return to your homes. Though don't be surprised if your 'friends' betray you. They do that. Oh, and so you know, the laws say you are legally pokemon now. Enjoy." she said.

She pressed the button.

From the caged, hundreds of pokemon escaped.

Well, pokemon is a loose term.

Some were human, some pokemon, some a mix of the two, some a mix of more than one pokemon, some a mixture of human and more than one pokemon. Each one was different.

Ellen smiled.  
"It's done. Nice to start a mess and solve it. You know, complete."  
"_**Should have started a war. More death.**_"  
"I know you think that way. I don't. Not that much."

Ellen's… 'private' thoughts were interrupted by a quiet sobbing.

She paced towards the noise, finding its source in one of the small cells.

It looked like a human woman, with creamy-blonde hair.

"What's up with you?" asked Ellen.  
"I have nowhere to go." whispered the girl to herself. "My family think all these hybrids are disgusting. I can't go home."  
"Well," said Ellen. "Family can't be trusted. You only have three choices. Go home and hope they forgive you. Stay here and let the rockets have you. Or run away and hope the trainer who catches you is nice."  
"But… I can't bear to do any of them…" she whispered.  
"Well… I suppose you could come with me." said Ellen. "New life. Hell, new name if you want one." she finished.  
She rolled a pokeball towards the cage, and turned around.  
"Make your choice."

There was a short silence, then a whisper.  
"Call me Cassiel."

And then a bright red light.

Ellen picked up the pokeball, and she and Gabrielle left the shattered husk of the rocket operation.

_Any good, un? Hope so. Nya._

Kao-sama : Kao, Gabrielle's nickname for Ellen. Shortened form of Kaosu, meaning chaos. Sama is a japanese honorific showing deep respect to a superior.  
Hime : Honorific meaning princess.


	13. Tales 13: The Shadows 2: Blades of Night

_Finally, the second chapter of the Shadows Arc. Enjoy!_

Tales of the Blade Chapter 13-The Shadows 2-Blades in the Night

Inside a large mansion there was silence.

"Where the HELL is Alicia?!"

Well, there was…

A girl came storming into the largest room, followed by another girl, a man and a Gallade.

She was about seventeen, with long black hair and dangerously glittering eyes of very dark brown. There was a large sword on her back, the pommel stone actually another blade, like a small dagger.

She turned to face the people following her.  
"Well? For fucks sake, how hard is it?" Where the fuck is Alicia?"

The other girl walked forward a little. She looked very similar to the other girl, brown eyed, but with long hair in a white ponytail down to her back. She was younger, maybe fifteen or sixteen.  
"Alexa, stop shouting. James already says that he doesn't know."  
"I know that genius. Where was she last? Come on Larissa, it's not fucking difficult."

"She was attacking Cipher." said the man, James, quietly. "We think they have a new base, and I asked her to check it out. That was a week ago."

"Well then, we should do something! Idiot…" said the first girl, Alexa.  
"There aren't enough people to do anything. There aren't many of us." pointed out Larissa, the other girl.  
"Then I'll do it." said Alexa, storming out of the room again, the Gallade following her.

Larissa sighed.  
"I'd better help. She'll get killed on her own."

She left as well.

The man groaned.  
Those two were so hard to deal with…

* * *

"Alexa, wait up." called Larissa, running after her.  
"Do you know where Alicia was going?" asked Alexa immediately.  
"Umm… I think she was checking the old base outside of Phenac. Quite small, that's why it took us so long to realise." explained Larissa.  
"Right, it should take us about a day to travel there." said Alexa, thinking.  
"Ooh! We'll use my Ray!" said Larissa, suddenly excited.  
"…it's not that urgent…" said Alexa weakly.  
"Yes it is." said Larissa, practically dancing back into the side of the building, and then driving out in a sleek, green machine, styled to look much like a Rayquaza.  
"…fuck…" said Alexa. "I hate that thing."

Larissa jumped out and pulled Alexa over, and then into the side seat.

The Gallade followed them, sitting in the back of the machine.  
The engine roared, and it took off into the air.

Alexa was murmuring something to herself about a 'happy place'.

* * *

"Well, we're here. Shame, I was enjoying that." said Larissa.  
As they landed, Alexa jumped out of the craft and hugged the ground.

Larissa left the vehicle sadly, almost caressing it's prow, and the Gallade, who had not yet spoken, followed her.

"Well… now we're here, we should go in. Right?" said Alexa, trying to put the flight behind her.  
"Alexa, we can't do that. We should check how many people there are and sneak in and-"

Alexa was charging down the hill.

Larissa groaned, and turned to the Gallade.  
"Does she listen to anyone, Kire?"

The Gallade started.  
"No. But why would you ask me? No-one ever listens to me…"

Larissa groaned again.  
"Great. I have my sister who can't be bothered to wait five seconds, and a depressed Gallade with no self-esteem. Wonderful."

She ran down after Alexa, and the Gallade, Kire, followed her.

* * *

"Could you not have waited ten seconds for them to walk past?" asked Larissa, slashing her sword through the neck of a Cipher grunt.  
"No, where the fuck is the fun in that?" said Alexa, laughing, cutting through a pair of them with one swipe.

Within seconds the two of them, plus Kire, cut through an entire patrol.

A quiet clapping noise came from behind them.

They turned, seeing a man, dressed in the uniform of a Cipher Peon. He had blue eyes, and close cut black hair. He took a pokeball calmly from his belt, opening it. Out of it came a Zapdos, the legendary bird of lightning, glowing with shadow energy. It screamed at them.

A bolt of black lightning fired from the Zapdos towards the three of them.

It stopped in front of Alexa, a green glow appearing in front of her hands.

"Fuck, you're stupid." said Alexa, glowing, her form changing slightly. Within seconds, her form was mixed with that of a Lugia.  
"Fool, you'd fight a Sonai?" she said.

The peon laughed.  
"I already defeated one."

The Zapdos shot past her at as incredible speed, picking up Kire the Gallade in it's claws, routing electricity to him, making him scream. The Zapdos picked him up, carrying him next to the Peon and throwing him to the ground.

The peon drew a sword from his back, holding it against Kire's neck. He tossed a pokeball at Alexa's feet.

"You get inside there, or this Pokemon joins the ranks of the shadows."

As he said it, a bolt of lightning paralysed Larissa.

"Fuck you all." growled Alexa.  
Then she gave an apologetic look to Larissa, and kicked the pokeball, vanishing inside it.

The POeon laughed, capturing Kire with another pokeball.  
"Zapdos, throw that one outside." he said, pointing at Larissa.

She was dropped outsaide of the building, the doors shut behind her.

She cried.

* * *

_Sad…_


	14. Tales 14: The Fallen 5: To Spread Chaos

…_MY FIC. I GET TO BREAK THE RULES.  
More Ellen._

Disclaimer-My canon is very weird, but not quite different enough for me to be able to say I own it. Pokemon isn't mine.

Tales of the Blades Chapter 14-The Fallen 5-To Spread Chaos

It was a good weak for miss Ellen Kaosu Lorn.  
On the Monday, she had captured a Pikachu-a Pikachu with a sarcastic streak a mile long.

"So what next, Ellen? World domination?" asked the Pikachu.  
"Nope." she said. "Just the spreading of pain, suffering, chaos, love, and freedom."

The Pikachu, name of Raphael, had been found by the Power Plant. This had sparked off a scheme in the young swordswoman's mind.

All she had needed was a pokemon who could swim.  
While walking on the beach, down at Cherrygrove, she had seen a pokemon on the surface of the water. Nothing normal, but an Ekans.

A sea Ekans. Rare, blue, without the ability to evolve, but with some limited water type moves.

Ellen had immediately done her best to befriend the pokemon, succeeding, using the best diplomacy she could muster. The happiness that Gabrielle demonstrated helped a lot in proving that she cared.

The sea Ekans was named Azrael.  
Ellen now had Gabrielle the Latias, Cassiel the Blaziken changeling, Raphael the Pikachu, and Azrael the sea Ekans.

She had everything she needed, but she wasn't quite ready to leave.  
She picked something out of a pocket.  
"Raphael." she said. "Do you want to evolve?"

The Pikachu stared at her. "Yes, please."

* * *

Half an our later, Ellen and Azrael were partway to their destination-The Orange Islands, where a certain Elite Four member was currently staying. The rest of the pokemon were inside pokeballs, that Ellen had recently modified herself.

Azrael was far faster than expected. It helped that Ellen, due to being part fire type, was safe from the ill effects of the cold water.

They arrived in just under a day of travel, broken by very little activity.  
Ellen thanked Azrael, and returned him for some rest.

She changed into a Typhlosion, drying off in an instant, and then back into a human, before walking into the village.

* * *

Lance, Dragon Master and Champion of Johto, safe in one of his personal houses, awoke to bright red eyes staring into his.  
"You're going to do exactly as I say." she said.  
There was a slight purple glow around her eyes.

"I'm going to do exactly as you say." he murmured back.  
"First, stop repeating after me. It's irritating." she said. "Second, you're going to be hatching a plot. A plot so large, it could change the course of history itself. More importantly, it will bring chaos."

* * *

"It's done, Ellen." said Lance.  
She sighed. The hypnotism had taken perfectly, he'd never remember who he used to be. Almost sad, he was a famously nice guy.  
She looked at the complicated machinery now at the heart of Lance's redesigned mansion.

She stepped forwards.  
"Does it do everything?" she asked.  
"Yes." said Lance. "This generated the carrier wave, it has a frequency that will shatter pokeballs. The special balls have been developed, we have hundreds already. That is where we pour the Attract energy into, the carrier wave will allow it to reach even Sinnoh."  
Ellen nodded.

"Thank you." she said. "I think I'll turn it on."  
"I'll be waiting for you so we can celebrate." said Lance, leaving.

Ellen smiled, and pulled a single lever.  
The energy hit her like a cannonball.  
She opened her pokeballs-modified to survive the wave-releasing Azrael, Raphael and Cassiel-Gabrielle was still inside. They stood there, looking a little uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" asked Ellen.  
"It's hard to resist." admitted Raphael.  
"Did I tell you to resist?" asked Ellen with a smile.

The three pokemon leapt upon her, as around the five regions began something that would one day be known as the Reversal. She was right, it would change the world.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, after the event had been solved by a certain actor, something odd was afoot.  
"You will bring us Ellen Lorn."  
"Yes, master."  
"Alive, captured."  
"Yes, master."  
"You will not fail."  
"I never will, master."  
"Good luck, Cronos."  
"I do not need luck."

* * *

_XD PLOT TWIST NO JUTSU._


	15. Tales 15: The Fallen 6: Set It Right

_Mwahaha. Intellectual reference in the title there… can anyone get it? Hint: Shakespeare._

Tales of the Blades Chapter 15-The Fallen 6-Ever I Was Born to Set it Right

Like a shadow, Ellen stalked through the forest. She was confident she could find what she was searching for.

It had been a productive year for Ellen, one where she had applied herself to learning new skills-such as finding the heir to the Rofani family, learning the discipline and then killing him, and not to mention she'd gone back to the mansion, to get a certain item-but one in which she had noticed one very, very odd fact. She was aging at an accelerated rate-for no apparent reason. Bladesmasters always lived a long time, but Ellen was bitter. She'd lost her childhood for a dream stolen from her, and now her youth-her true youth, the first few years of it when everything is bright, and new-was slipping away.

There were only two beings capable of this. Dialga, the legendary Time dragon. Celebi, the 'Forest Pixie'.

Celebi, along with Mew, was considered the patron legend of the Blademasters.  
The legend was said to reside in the shrine deep inside the Ilex Forest.

Where she was headed at this very moment.

* * *

"Come out, Celebi." rang her voice. Her eyes flashed.  
"_**Hmm, going to kill the pathetic creature?**_**" **asked Nemezure. "_**Please tell me you are.**_"  
"I was considering it." she admitted. "But now you recommended it? Not a chance."

Judging your morals is easy when you're possessed. Do exactly the opposite of what they say. It's a good philosophy, if Nemezure was more talkative and Ellen actually followed it, it could have stopped a lot of pain.

There was a green flash, and the figure of a sad legend appeared in front of her. Celebi.  
"I was wondering when you were going to come." he said sadly.

Ellen drew her swords.  
"You knew?" she asked.  
"It was foretold." said Celebi.

Ellen shook her head in disbelief, and pointed the left hand sword at him.  
"Why are you messing with my age?" she said.  
"What?"  
"My age. I'm aging too quickly."  
"Oh…" said Celebi. "The time bubble around your brother's town…"  
"Time bubble? What are you doing to my brother?" she asked, angry.  
"He needs to be older. Dark time are coming." said Celebi. "And it affects his close relatives as well. It'll stop in-well, just a couple of years for you."

She scowled.  
"I don't like you." she said simply.

She leapt forwards with amazing speed.  
Celebi held his hands in front of him, and a bright green light formed.

Ellen vanished into it.

He blinked, seeing a gash in his stomach.  
"She's that fast…" he moaned. He teleported.

* * *

"What the hell?" said Ellen, standing up from the ground she had fallen.

She didn't recognise where she was, not at all.  
"Who's that?" came an oddly familiar voice.

Turning with lightning speed, she saw a group of seven figures. One looked oddly like Celebi, but human, with light green hair and darker eyes. Another, female with bright pink hair and blue eyes, who reminded her of Mew. And five others.

It took Ellen a moment. One, black haired blue eyed, with one larger sword and one smaller. Another, blonde haired, blue eyed with an overlarge sword on his back. The third, brown haired, green eyed with two perfectly mirrored weapons on his back-he reminded her of Jonathon. Fourth, a quiet man with black hair and eyes almost the same shade.

Fifth was a woman who looked exactly like an older version of Ellen, apart from the eyes. Where Ellen had blood red eyes, the woman had brown-like Ellen's used to be.

"Well well." smiled Ellen, as the demon in her head hissed in fury and shock. "Lauren Lorn, I presume."  
"Who are you?" asked Alan.  
"Looks like you, bitch." said Sam nonchalantly to Lauren.  
"Shut it before I kill you." said Lauren, without even looking at him.

"She doesn't feel right." said Alex quietly.  
Mew's eyes began to glow as she used telepathy.

She screamed in surprise as her mind found Ellen's, and within it a creature born of hate and malice. Directed at the seven beings in front of it-including Mew herself.

Mewe stepped back, falling onto her back as she backed away.  
"She's possessed…" she murmured in fear.  
"There's something odd… energy around her like the stuff I use to change time." said Celebi.

"Probably your daughter or something." said Sam, enjoying the idea that Lauren's descendant fell to the darkness. "Fits that you of all people have kids who fail."

Lauren hit him. Hard.

"Not quite." said Ellen. "Great, great, great by quite a ways granddaughter." she said,

Lauren's eyes went wide, and Sam's narrowed with victory.

Seeing it, Ellen added another comment.  
"I killed a Rofani a few months ago." she said, referring to the man she had tricked into teaching her.

Sam stared, searching for deceit in her eyes.

He found none.

He ran forwards with a scream of anger.

Ellen vanished, reappearing behind him, slamming the back of his head with the hilt of her sword.  
"You are so lucky that history says you have to survive." she said.

"Whereas you're from the future." said Lauren. "You don't matter."  
"Oh, nice to your family, aren't you?" smiled Ellen.  
"No family of mine." she hissed.  
"Bring it." said Ellen.

Lauren flashed forwards, swinging both her weapons at an incredible speed-one a golden metal, one a black.  
Ellen blocked them, throwing a counter at the same speed.  
Lauren blocked that too, shock registering on her face, as she noticed that one of Ellen's weapons was made of the same golden metal.

"Believe me now, great, great grandmother?" said Ellen.  
"I still have to kill you." said Lauren. "Chaos Blade."  
"Chaos Blade." echoed Ellen.

Within a second both of them had vanished and reappeared, and attacked over a dozen times-each one blocking the other.

After an entire minute, it was still a standoff.  
And then one blow got through.

One girl, brown haired, collapsed on the floor, two swords skittering away, with a large gash in her side.

The red eyes of the victor sparkled with glee.

A gree light struck her, as Celebi reversed the time magic holding her there.  
"…she lost…" said an astounded Alan.

James ran over to embrace Lauren, and say she was going to be fine.  
"I lost… to my own descendant… who's less than sixteen… and possessed." she said.  
"Well… at least you're going to be famous." said Mew brightly.

* * *

_Tadaa?_


	16. Tales 16:The Fallen 7: Love, Fire, Blood

_Hello. This update-Ellen again-is for Wolfie. Happy birthday! (Assuming I do it in time…)_

Tales of the Blade Chapter 16-The Fallen 7-Blood, Fire and Love

"Master, you asked I return here before I leave?"  
"Yes. You shall take charge of the most successful warriors of the project to hunt her down."  
"As you command, my lord."  
"Decado and Matahari would seem to be good choices."  
"Your wish, my command, sire."  
"Good, Cronos."

* * *

"You're doing well." said the woman calmly.  
"Thank you… sensei." said Ellen with a smile.

Something about that girl was wrong, thought Alicia. It reminded her of the third Cipher attack. Just… wrong. But, they had never turned away a potential student.

So this Ellen Woods-didn't believe that was her name, either-got her chance. And so did her 'little sister' Gabrielle. Something about this was fishy.

But after six months of training, she'd done as well as Alicia could teach her, by tradition.

And that was why the brown and red haired girls were waiting for her, the older girl-what was she, seventeen?-wearing a proud, arrogant expression utterly at odds with the Sonai families philosophy.

"Congratulations." she said. She gave both of them a small badge, the sign of the Sonai, a large sword, the other end pointed in a dagger as their traditional weapons were-and now, so was Ellen's plain sword-with a pair of slanted eyes around it.

Elllen bowed, something in the way she did it mocking. She drew the plain sword, holding it in both hands, in the Sonai grip. She gave a questioning look at Alicia.

Alicia understood, drawing her own, larger weapon. It was common for students to duel their masters, as a final test of skill. It showed arrogance, or at best confidence, in the student. Somehow Alicia had foreseen this.

The moment the blades touched, Alicia knew something was wrong. This wasn't a duel. Something told her this was more than a practice, something different from their training. Death was waiting in the wings.

She shifted into high gear. Whoever this girl was, she couldn't defeat a Blademaster.

Every one of Alicia's attacks failed-blocked by an almost mirror image, perfect Fear style combat reflected at her. She was almost frightened herself, it was the best display seen by anyone outside the family.  
She glowed, and an instant later she was a Lucario, and she went to strike the girl with a Force Palm.

There was a flash, and a black and purple Gallade-morph, blocked the attack with her sword, and struck her in the stomach in what could only be described as a Close Combat, the arrogant expression never leaving her face

Alicia cried out in pain, and scrambled up. The girl was inhumanly fast.  
"Demon Shroud." she said.

The form of a demon wrapped itself around her, wings, a pair of horns, a tail.

The girl laughed, changing back to her human form. But… different. Her eyes were a bright red. An illusion, for six months, fooling the subtle powers of the Sonai at their own game.

And with those eyes, there was only one person that girl could be. Ellen 'Kaosu' Lorn. The Fallen among the Fallen Angels.

"I'm not going to kill you." said Ellen, conversationally. "Nor is Gabri-hime. I like you."

Coming from anyone else, it would be an insult.

The illusion faded, Alicia saw four badges pinned to the cloak she wore. The Angel and Demon winged sword of Lorn, the sword and shield of Verin, the upturned weapon of Rofani, and, newest, the eyes and dagger-ended sword of the Sonai.

With her it was a statement of fact, and a true compliment.  
"Besides, you might die anyway." she said.

Alicia wondered what she meant, and looked down at her chest.

She was bleeding horribly from the wound caused by the Close Combat.  
She collapsed unconscious, seeing the girl place a hand to the side of her head, a green energy flowing into her.

* * *

"Recover." said Ellen, placing her hand to the side of the girl's head. The wound closed up mostly, leaving it painful, dangerous, but not fatal.  
"Yay! I liked her. I'm glad she's not going to die."  
"Then so am I." said Ellen happily.

Gabrielle smiled, and hugged her.  
"Thank you, Kao-sama!"  
"I think it's time for a good deed, don't you?" she asked. "We're going… to Johto again."  
"I like Johto."  
"So do it."

* * *

"This is one of the Rocket science bases." scowled Ellen. "Ever since I helped them, I realised how crappy they are. They needed my help to fix their 'designs'. Without me, their Pokeblood forces would be nothing."  
"You're the best, Kao-sama." said an adoring Gabrielle.  
"Aww." said Ellen, hugging her. "How did your time go, ages ago, when you were training with the others? Did you get those electric attacks down?"  
"Yeah! Raphael was really impressed!" said Gabrielle.  
"Well. Hit the building with a Zap Cannon." smiled Ellen.

The Latias-girl concentrated, her hair whipping with power as she formed a lightning sphere in her hands, her eyes glowing purple as she aimed psychically.  
"Hit the power systems." said Ellen quietly.

Gabrielle nodded excitedly, and fired the powerful attack.

It struck the building, electricity forcing its way into the network, destroying all of the circuits with a devastating overload.

"Good." smiled Ellen, teleporting them in.

* * *  
_New Point Of View  
_* * *

When I first saw her, she looked like an angel of war. She came in, splattered in blood, and killed every guard in the room in a matter of seconds.

She went to the first cage, shattering the lock with just a look.

To me, she was an angel. An avenging angel. The most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, for all I knew the best I'd ever see.  
I fell in love with her in an instant. Irrevocably, suddenly.

She got to the cage I was trapped in, gave me a sardonic smile, and gestured for the exit, before moving on.

I ddin't leave, when all the others were gone she saw me, just outside of my cage.  
Me? Uh, I'm brown haired. Fourteen. My name's Brandon Wolfe. I'm a Mightyena Morph, currently wearing a plain black t-shirt and jeans. Provided by those bastard rockets. They wanted me for their experiments. I know it sounds stupid, but they say it's easier to make combiomorphs from pokebloods.

They used longer words than that, but I can't even be bothered to remember what they were.

Anyway!

So, she turned, and looked at me, giving me an odd smile that didn't reach the bloodied eyes.  
"Why are you still here?" she asked.

"You… you're beautiful." I said, floundering with something good to say.

She laughed at me.  
"You're out of my league." she said.  
I might have been offended, but she then added to it, sadly.  
"No-one would ever want to be in my league."

She left in a flash of light.

* * *  
Normal  
* * *

Three figures at the door, staring at the space Ellen was moments before. One, male, with long white hair, wearing a yellow costume, almost like a jumpsuit. Another, black haired, blue eyed, pale skinned, wearing all black. And a third, a woman with black hair, dark eyes, tall, perfectly beautiful.

And there was one black haired boy looking back at them.  
"I won't tell you anything." he said, guessing their purpose.

"We're not asking." said the pale man, putting his hand on Brandon's head, a discharge of black and blue lightning crackling between them.

The boy collapsed.

"She teleported. We can track her trail." said the man.  
The woman laughed, her voice musical.  
"Well find Ellen Lorn easily enough." she said.

"Ellen Lorn…" said Brandon to himself.

A bolt of fire struck him in the face, knocking him unconscious.  
"Focus." said the white haired man. "Let's go."

* * *

_Dundundun. XD  
It may not be a nice first appearance, but still._


	17. Tales 17: The Fallen 8: Oh Yeah Because

_Haio. Mention that I over-favour Ellen and I kill you. XD_

_SILENCE. I KILL YOU._

Disclaimer-Still don't own recognisable elements of pokemon. Nor do I own the title.

Tales of the Blade Chapter Seventeen-The Fallen Eight-Oh Yeah. Because I'm An Idiot

"Who are you?" said Alicia calmly, as the mere suggestion of three shadows appeared over her bed.

"Our names matter not." came a quiet voice from the first, a white haired man.  
"You trained a woman known as Ellen Kaosu Lorn." said the third, a drop-dead beautiful woman with red hair down to her waist.

Alicia sensed something was wrong.

In moments she had exited her bed, crouching in a fighting stance with her sword held in front of her, kept by her bed.  
She winced as her stomach twinged. The wound was not yet fully healed…

"Demon Shroud…" she muttered, an illusion forming around her, dark wings, flaming eyes, horns.

"Personally." remarked the third. "I have never been scared by a woman in a nightdress."

A wave of fear shot out, and the desire to break and run shot up in each of them, but was quashed mercilessly.

"We know your tricks." said the girl in a low voice. "All of them, every one."  
"You can't win this." said the white haired man softly.

"You can't hope to defeat a Blademaster." responded Alicia, shifting into her Lucario form, the demonic shroud remaining.

The second was forced to admit that the demonic Lucario was rather intimidating.

She leapt forwards, blurring. Every moment since her defeat at Ellen's hands had been spent training her speed.

"Blazing Wings." came the quiet voice-from behind her.

Before she could turn, the white haired man grabbed her, leaping for a wall. She felt him changing-but what into she couldn't tell, not from here.

She smashed into the wall, cracking it, and flames ignited around the two of them. The pressure kept up, driving her into the wall, as he began scraping her along it, along the first wall and the second, and the third, before pulling her off, leaping into mid air-where every single drop of heat in the fiery aura exploded into her.

She collapsed unconscious, after having failed, trying to defend the girl that she hated more than any other.

* * *

"Sinnoh." remarked Ellen, looking around. "Never liked the place."  
She smirked.

"But it's where my last discipline is."

She stopped. "Of course, first… I've always wanted a Milotic. To Mount Coronet."  
"Is Mount Coronet fun?" asked Gabrielle, cocking her head to the side.  
"If it isn't, we'll find an Onix or something to kill in it." smiled Ellen.

* * *

Five hours.

Five hours of searching the underground lake, and no Feebas, no Milotic.

Five hours before Gabrielle pointed out she could swim, and could check the lake in about five minutes.  
Ellen growled to herself.  
"Damnit."  
"Did I do something wrong, Kao-sama?"  
"No." said Ellen, sighing. "That was my own stupidity."  
"**Hmm, you've learnt something today. You're stupid.**"

Ellen stopped. "_You know, I'm sure I was taught how to use anti-demonic attacks_." she hissed to the voice in her head.  
"**Even you aren't stupid enough to do that.**" scoffed the voice.

"_Watch me._" she said. "Purity Wave."

Ellen wasn't sure why she chose then to get pissed off enough to do something that monumentally stupid. Nor did she know whether the technique would work.

Waves of rainbow coloured light radiated out from her. And then came back inwards.

She did know, however, that it was in fact, incredibly stupid.  
And the most painful thing imaginable.

Ellen and Nemezure's screams reverberated around the cavern, penetrating the top layers of the water, but fortunately not reaching Gabrielle.

Ellen slid down the wall, panting.  
"**You proved your point.**" growled Nemezure, a headache throbbing in both his and Ellen's minds. "**You can be an idiot.**"  
"Well, as long as you know." murmured Ellen.

They sat in silence, the demon remaining quiet to calm his aching skull, Ellen quiet for the same reason, until Gabrielle broke the surface, followed a few moments later by what was recognisable as a Feebas.

Shyly, the Feebas spoke.  
"She… she says you can make me beautiful."  
"I can't make you beautiful." said Ellen.  
"O…oh…"  
"To make you beautiful, you'd have to start as something else." she said.

The Feebas blinked. "I'm not even pretty…" she said.  
"Oh, you really are." smiled Ellen. "Look. Am I pretty?" she said.

The fish nodded.

"Is Gabrielle pretty?" she asked, pointing at the girl.

Another nod.

"What about these three? Cassiel is beautiful, Azrael and Raphael look like some kind of old-fashioned deities." she laughed, opening three pokeballs.

A third nod, as the Feebas wondered where this was going.

"See how Azrael's scales sparkle? How Cassiel's feathers almost glow, how Raphael has a tail so black it vanishes against the shadows?" she said, her language running circles around the pokemon. "I think I know about beauty." she grinned.

"I'm… beautiful?" said the small fish.  
"When you evolve, you become a Milotic, one of the most beautiful pokemon to exist. That Beauty doesn't come from nowhere. It's inside you." said Ellen, leaning down, earnestly. "All you have to do is believe it, and let it out."

"Believe…" the pokemon murmured.  
"Believe… I believe." she said.  
"I believe."

Light radiated from her.

"Welcome to my team, Ramiel." murmured Ellen, embracing the ecstatic, and utterly gorgeous serpent. "You might want to know… I'm really not a nice person. Not to anyone… except my pokemon."  
"I don't care." said the Milotic. Worship was in her eyes. "Anything for you."  
"Good." she smiled. "I need to find the Jaster mansion… in Hearthome, I believe."

* * *

"Hello." said Ellen, her eyes and much of her appearance hidden by what she liked to call a glamour. She appeared as a blonde haired, green eyed girl of fifteen. Beside her was Gabrielle, the only change in her appearance her red hair, a plain blonde.

Unfortunately, the Jaster family was much decreased at the moment. The branch families were all but empty, and the main family was tiny, and far too busy to take on students. She was having to settle for a man named Adam Teriyent, a skilled practicioner of the art of Discipline Swordsmanship. He was said to be as skilled as a true member, all but one of them. Rumours had it he was as close as a brother to the current heads.

Ellen looked forward to killing him.

"Hello, Miss… Jennifer, was it?" asked the man, blue eyes looking down her, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Black hair glittered, a lithe body, fresh from training waiting for her. "Come in, we can start right away. And your sister, Gabrielle?"

Maybe she'd sleep with him before she killed him.

* * *  
_POV change  
_* * *

"Um… Alicia, Alicia Sonai?" I asked.  
The girl looked at me, burn marks all over her and bandages across her stomach, visible under her clothes.

I stepped back.  
"What do you want?" she asked quietly.  
"I'm looking for someone called... uh... Ellen. Ellen Lorn." I said quietly.

There was a sound, metal slashing through the air.

Her hand was on her sword, which was now pointed at his throat.  
"Why?" she said.  
"Because… I think I love her…" I said, eyes downcast.

She blinked.

"I believe she is in Sinnoh." she said quietly, putting down the sword. "There are others who seek her, three. I cannot fight them… she may be able to. But there are few in this world who rival her. Few if any."

I gulped. They defeated a Bladesmaster, injured her this badly…  
The sensible thing to do was give up.

They say love is blind. What no-one ever thinks to tell you is that it's stupid.

* * *

_Done and done. One sitting. ^_^_


	18. Tales 18: The Fallen 9: Relentless

_Well Hai!_

Disclaimer-Two of the villains are based on characters I do not own. Their names and appearances belong to their respective copyright owners. As does what little remains of the canon here.

Tales of the Blade Chapter Eighteen-The Fallen Nine-Relentless

"_We do not rest."  
"We do not sleep."  
"We do not show mercy."  
"We do not give second chances."  
"We leave no survivors."_

* * *

Ellen awoke with a jolt, covered in sweat.  
That was… strange.  
Not scary, no…. no… Ellen wasn't afraid. She was never afraid.  
But…

She looked right. Her erstwhile teacher was there-she'd finished today, and he'd finally accepted her advances.

The victory seemed hollow.  
There would be no joy for her in Hearthome, not any more.  
"Are you ok, Jen?" he asked, clearly awake. "You… you were shifting and turning for a minute there."

His hand rubbed tenderly against her side.  
Her hand went to his cheek, touching gently.

"**They're hunting you. Kill him. A flare from your palm, now. Painless. And you'll be safe.**" hissed Nemezure. "**The flames will melt the bone and boil the blood in an instant… beautiful.**"  
Ellen held her hand there.

It would take just a moment, and she could leave… no-one would know…

She'd know.  
"Just a nightmare." she said quietly.  
He went to kiss her cheek, and she flinched.  
"Something wrong?" he asked again.  
"Just… not used to this." she said, meaning the tenderness, the closeness.

"**Aww, you like him and he'd kill you if he knew who you were.**" mocked Nemezure. "**Kill him now. Save the pain later.**"

Ellen mouthed the words 'Fuck you.'  
She could have sworn she heard the demon roll his eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Adam, worried.  
Ellen nodded silently. He put his arm around her, and she put her head on his chest.

As soon as his breathing slowed, and he fell asleep again, she ghosted away from him, gathered her things, and left.  
A single tear was wiped from her face as she woke Gabrielle up, in the next room, holding a finger to the 'girl's' lips. Gabrielle nodded, standing.

"_Is he dead?" _she asked, curiously, via telepathy.  
"_No._" replied Ellen shortly. Even Gabrielle, who was certainly not an expert at understanding emotions and subtext, didn't follow it up.  
Gabrielle picked up the couple of things she had in a few moments, and nodded. They exited the room, running, silently, through the corridors, opening the door without a noise, and stopped dead still.

"We found you." said a white haired man.  
"No hiding from us." grinned a beautiful, red haired woman.  
"Today… I will taste blood, and you will taste defeat." said the black haired male, eyes growing bright.

Ellen froze. Her skin went pale.  
_Those were the voices from the nightmare._

"Give in now, and it will be easier for everyone." said the white haired one.  
"Hell no." growled Ellen, gathering herself together. She was the best swordsmaster _ever._

She wouldn't be affected by some crappy mind tricks and head games.

"Good." said the other male. "I've been looking forward to this."  
He drew a pair of short swords, one black, one gold.

Ellen was suddenly at ease.  
She could deal with swords.

She drew both the special, golden sword of hers, and the other, modified with the dagger point of the Sonai.

A mind touched hers.  
"_You are locked into this duel._" said the voice of her opponent. She knew him in that instant-his name was Decado. And she knew that he knew her.

She felt him spring forward, and instantly did the same.  
He was faster than he had any right to be-and she was faster than normal.

Something about the link made it harder. Faster. More dangerous.

And Ellen realised with a jolt, within the first touch of their blades, that he was her match.

She concentrated, drawing on the power of the Sonai-the Demon Shroud.

And before it was even fully formed, she knew that that too was useless. He exulted in the fear, fed on the risk, drew power from knowing that everything he thought, she knew, and everything she knew, he knew.

She moved on from mindgames. With a pair of diagonal slashes, she formed a blast of devastating energy-a Jaster technique. He flipped over it, seamlessly integrating the dodge into an overhead attack, which Ellen blocked, turning her defence into a pirouette, dancing around him and lashing out for the legs, simultaneously Shifting into her combimorph form.

Decado laughed in delight as she formed a sphere of black flames, launching them for him. They disintegrated in a flash of focussed might from the swordsman.

Ellen hissed, her back flaring up with purple flames.

"Hellfyre Wave!" she began.

A wave splashed over her. Water.  
She roared in pain.

Decado smirked, looking round at the female for a second, who had her hands up, as Ellen cringed in agony.

"_I… can't lose…_" she said to herself, in shock.  
"You just did." said Decado in amusement, holding his blades at her neck. "Submit?"

Her eyes flashed at the reference to her past-something he had no right to, yet she knew that was why he said it.  
She checked.  
There was no way out of the position she was in.

And there was a dark type aura surrounding the area. Stronger than she could deal with. She couldn't teleport.  
Maybe a strong psychic pulse into his brain..?  
But as she considered every option, they were blocked off, and the link shut.  
She was hurt… couldn't even hold up her illusion anymore. Her false appearance faded. Not that it had helped…

"Shadow IMPACT!"  
A black blur flashed into her opponent. He went flying, and a boy with brown hair, and green eyes, landed on hands and feet.  
It was the boy from the rocket base. Who had called her beautiful.

"Brandon Wolfe saves the day!" he boasted, grinning widely.

"…you're Ellen Lorn." came a voice form the house.

A chill went through Ellen.  
She turned.  
It was Adam.

She knew from his face that he'd seen her change.  
Her heart sank.

But he didn't have time to do anything.  
"Flamebreak." said the other man-the white haired morph. For a moment, rainbow coloured wings appeared on his back.  
Flame blasted outwards.

Brandon was knocked unconscious, Adam too.  
Ellen was burnt, but not knocked out. She was a fire type, after all…

Ellen was the best fighter to come from the Lorn family. Full stop. She outclassed her family, and likely all the others. And she did so with speed.

Yet she couldn't move in the time it took the white haired man to walk-more like flow-over to her, wings forming again as he lifted her into the air by the neck.

They floated to about a metre up.

"Phoenix Embrace." he whispered.

Her body lit up in an explosion.  
And everything went dark as she fell to the ground.

* * *

_She's not dead._


End file.
